DOH: We were not consulted on proposal to exchange nurses for vaccines

The Department of Health (DOH) was left in the dark on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)’s proposal to deploy nurses to Britain and Germany in exchange for a supply of coronavirus vaccines, an official said Wednesday.

“We were not consulted, we are not even aware of this kind of exchange between our government and the other governments for this matter,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said at a virtual briefing.

Vergeire said it was up to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases to decide on the matter.

“Wala po kaming impormasyon pa tungkol dito at sa tingin ko naman po ay magkakaroon ng pag-uusap ‘yan at dapat idulog sa IATF kung sakaling may ganito pong mga plano or proposal,” she said.

A DOLE official earlier told Reuters that the Philippines was open to deploying health workers in order to secure vaccines from Britain and Germany. 

The proposal was opposed by lawmakers but not by Malacañang, with presidential spokesman Harry Roque saying “more [vaccine supply] is better than less.” 

Senators Franklin Drilon and Joel Villanueva called the move a “sign of desperation” brought by the delayed vaccine rollout. 

Quezon 4th District Representative Angelina Tan, chairperson of the House committee on health, also warned that it could widen gaps in the country’s healthcare services. 

But UK envoy Daniel Pruce said Britain has no plan to enter into such deal with the Philippines. — RSJ, GMA News