Gov't agencies need to discuss deployment cap on healthcare workers, says Ople

The government agencies concerned with the deployment of health workers abroad need to meet and discuss issues, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said on Monday.

Responding to questions sent by GMA News, Ople said she was hoping for a meeting among officials of the Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Migrant Workers.

"I hope that the inter-agency meeting between and among DOH, DoLE and the DMW can take place soon. I will follow up on the preferred date and time," Ople said.

"On the deployment cap, we really just need to sit down and discuss possible solutions," she added.

Department of Health officer in charge Ma. Rosario Vergeire on Monday told a Senate committee that it was the DOLE that set the cap on the deployment of health workers abroad.

She said that the DOH wanted more coordination with other government agencies as regard the matter.

The DOH last week said that the country needed 106,000 nurses.

Vergeire said the Philippines also had vacancies for other healthcare workers. —Marvin Candelaria/NB, GMA News