DOLE to check if hospitals comply with labor laws

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has said it will check if private and government hospitals are compliant with labor laws.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello told GMA News that the department is now training labor inspectors for the medical sector.

He said the labor inspectors will be immediately sent to hospitals nationwide.

“Ang panawagan namin sa kanila (hospital owners) iyong respect and compliance with labor law standards, especially on the issue of security of tenure,” Bello said.

He said they will also investigate the alleged practice of some private hospitals who ask nurses to pay "training fees."

“Like iyong salary instead na sila binabayaran may mga nurse, registered nurse na 'yan ha, na sila ang nagbabayad for alleged training fees. Hindi tama 'yon,” the secretary said.

Peatheray Bumatay, a registered nurse from Quezon City, said he paid a private hospital P10,000 for his training.

He also said that he was promised by the private hospital that he will be hired after his training.

“They said for training pero in the end sabi hi-hire pero hindi na hire parang nasayang pera ko na ipinangbayad sa institution,” said Bumatay.

Bumatay is now working at another private hospital in Quezon City.

The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines has yet to respond to Bello's statements.

The Philippine College of Occupational Medicine Inc., meanwhile, said problems and issues related to medical health workers are continuously being addressed.

“Ang binabantayan natin dun is the health and safety of the hospital worker because we know that the hospital is one of the most toxic and one of the most hazardous workplace,” said Dr. Phil M. Pangilinan, national vice president of the  Philippine College of Occupational Medicine Inc. —ALG, GMA News