DOH: Some 3,000 health workers want to apply as COVID-19 frontliner

Health workers walk in protective suits as they conduct a COVID-19 drive-through testing during a continuing enhanced community quarantine to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines, Wednesday, April 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

MANILA, Philippines — Some 3,000 health care workers have already expressed their intention to apply as a frontliner for the country’s fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Wednesday said the government’s emergency hiring program aims to hire 15,000 medical frontliners against the pandemic.

This is the estimated required personnel should the number of cases skyrocket in the country.

“Maraming gustong magvolunteer. We would like to assign these people appropriately kung saan sila kailangan. Inuuna natin ‘yung mga hopsital, inuuna natin ‘yung mga identified facilities for quarantine especially dito sa Maynila,” she told reporters in an online media forum.

(A lot of people want to volunteer. We would like to assign these people where they are needed. We are prioritizing the hospitals and quarantine facilities here in Manila.)

“Mayroon na tayo, I think, more than 3,000 na nakapag-sign na, may intention na makasali dito sa ating hiring,” she added.

(I think there are more than 3,000 people who have already signed up and expressed their intention to join the hiring program.)

The DOH is not just hiring hospital staff but also data encoders and laboratory personnel. Vergeire said the DOH does not yet have an issue in the hiring program.

However, she admitted that the health department is having difficulty in finding manpower in some professions such as doctors, microbiologists, and medical technologists. The DOH is partnering up with universities to source out some professionals.

“May mga specific professions na mahirap talagang hagilapin o magkaroon ng mas maraming pag-aapply.  Kailangan pa natin makipag-usap sa iba’t ibang universities para makapagpartner with them para pahiramin tayo at ‘yun ang mga iha-hire natin,” she said.

(There are specific professions that are difficult to find. We need to coordinate with universities to partner up with them so that we can hire some personnel.)

The health department is currently calling on medical graduates to apply as “deputized physicians” to help in the government’s efforts to curb the coronavirus spread.

It would issue a special authorization for medical graduates to perform a limited practice to augment the workforce for COVID-19 response.