Vergeire: DOLE, not DOH, sets cap on health workers' deployment abroad

Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Monday that, given the lack of nurses and other health professionals in the Philippines, the DOH wanted to coordinate with other government agencies in setting the overseas deployment cap on healthcare workers.

During a Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the DOH’s 2023 budget, Senator Joel Villanueva asked for the basis of the 7,000 deployment cap for  health workers, taking into account the shortage of 106,000 nurses in the country’s facilities and hospitals.

“First, it is not the Department of Health which provides this cap. It’s the Department of Labor and Employment,” Vergeire said.

Villanueva asked if the cap was set in coordination with the DOH, Vergeire responded by shaking her head.

"None at all?" Villanueva asked.

"Opo. Just to manifest… this is one of the challenges of the Department of Health right now because of the migration of our healthcare workers," Vergeire said. "We would like to really work with other government agencies so that we can see or have this kind of rational direction in deploying our healthcare workers."

Villanueva said he was surprised that the DOH was not being consulted on the matter.

“I will raise this on the budget of DMW (Department of Migrant Workers) to ensure that they are coordinating with DOH,” said the senator.

Vergeire on Thursday expressed concern over the migration of healthcare workers to other countries, saying that the DOH wanted to maintain its yearly deployment cap.

She said that aside from the 106,000 nurses, the country was also in need of doctors, pharmacists, radiologic technologists, medical technologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, midwives, and dentists.

She also said that the DOH planned to meet with DMW and DOLE to discuss what incentives could be given to local healthcare workers to encourage them to stay and work in the country.

The Philippine Nurses Association (PNA), on the other hand, expressed hope on Monday that the government would increase the 7,000 deployment cap for healthcare workers who wish to work in better-paying jobs abroad.

GMA News Online sought comment from DMW and DOLE regarding the matter, but they have yet to respond as of this posting. — DVM, GMA News