New Zealand offers employment, easier residency for nurses

The New Zealand government is offering a faster processing of residency status for overseas nurses who would be hired in the country amid the manpower shortage in their healthcare system.

According to Jun Veneracion’s report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday, around 4,000 registered nurses are needed to fill the shortfall in New Zealand’s healthcare system.

The New Zealand government is also providing easier and faster residency process for registered nurses and midwives to encourage more applicants to seek employment in their country.

Filipino nurse Andrew Joseph Perucho said he immediately became interested in the employment opportunity.

“Syempre gusto kong hindi lang sa nagtatrabaho ako doon pero 'yung magkaroon ako ng chance na maging resident sa bansa na pinagtatrabahuhan ko,” he said.

(Of course, I want to work there and have the chance to become a resident in the country where I am working.)

While it welcomes the employment package, the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) said more nurses leaving the Philippines means bad news for the country’s healthcare system which also has a shortage of around 100,000 healtch care workers.

“Ang nagiging concern po natin is to balance with our nurse workforce with the level of shortage here in the Philippines is on the critical level,” PNA President Melvin Maranda said.

(Our only concern is how to balance our nurse workforce with the level of shortage here in the Philippines is on a critical level.)

Data from the Private Hospitals Associations of the Philippines (PHAPi) showed at least 15,000 nurses working in private hospitals in different parts of the country have resigned this year. Most of them opted to work abroad where they were offered higher pay and more benefits.

This resulted in the closure of some wards in several hospitals due to the shortfall of nurses, the report said.

“Nakakalungkot ‘yan, siyempre, mas lalo tayong mauubusan ng nurses. Right now, ang talagang complaint ng mga ospital 'yung kulang na kulang ang ating mga nurses,” PHAPi President Dr. Jose Rene de Grano said.

(It’s sad because it means more nurses will leave. Right now, hospitals are complaining they do not have enough nurses.)

GMA News reached out to the Department of Health (DOH) for their comment but has yet to respond.

However, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier said there are efforts made to encourage nurses to stay in the country including offering incentives, health care benefits, and allowances. -- Sundy Locus/BAP, GMA Integrated News