Mandaue mulls stipend for health volunteers

Ruffa Ela Cababan, a volunteer nurse at the Mandaue City Hospital is looking forward to the approval of a proposed ordinance that would give them P20 per hour of service.

The proposed measure said Cababan would ease her parent’s burden of spending for her daily transportation and meals while gaining work experience.

“Okay rana at least naa. Volunteer baya ko kinsa’y magdahum nga naay ihatag,” Cababan said.

(Definitely, that is okay. As a volunteer, this is not expected.)

Cababan who recently graduated at the University of Cebu (UC) in April 2011 and passed the Nursing Licensure Examination last June 2012.

It is common practice for new nurses to volunteer in hospitals to gain experience to increase chances of being hired in the lucrative overseas market for nurses.

Mandaue City Councilor Demetrio Cortes said the proposed measure would boost the Mandaue City Volunteers for Health Program.

Volunteers who are helping in the delivery of public health services to the city deserve this kind of incentive, Cortes said.

Cortes in the ordinance stated that, “There are many graduates of various health courses need to accumulate service hours in health facility for future employment and professional growth”.

“Given the benefits gained by the city government from the services of the volunteer workers, it is just proper that at the very least, these volunteers be reimbursed of their daily expenses in the form of a fixed daily stipend,” Cortes added.

The proposed ordinance would appropriate P800,000 to be sourced from savings in the 2012 budget.

Health volunteers in Mandaue City are supervised by regular health professionals of the Mandaue City Hospital and City Health Office.

The proposed ordinance was passed on first reading during last Wednesday’s regular session.

Cortes said he expects fast approval of the ordinance.