Pilipinas may kakulangan ng halos 92,000 mga doktor at 44,000 nurses – DOH exec

Mayroong kakulangan ng halos 92,000 mga physicians at 44,000 mga nurses ang Pilipinas sa gitna ng pandemiya, ayon sa isang official ng Department of Health (DOH).

“If we look at the shortages of physicians as yet with the current situation of COVID in the Philippines, we have a shortage of around 92,000 physicians, 44,000 nurses,” sinabi ni DOH Assistant Secretary Kenneth Ronquillo sa congressional inquiry ng annual deployment cap ng mga healthcare workers.

Dagdag pa ni Ronquillo, na may kakulangan ring 19,000 medical technologists, mga 14,000 pharmacists, at 17,000 radiologic technicians at radiologic technologists.

Ayon kay Ronquillo, ang mga bilang na ito ay iniharap nila sa Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“I think this was the basis of the DOLE to put up this cap,” aniya.

Nabanggit niya rin ang mga “gaps” sa pag-deploy ng mga healthcare workers sa bansa.

“If we look at the data that we have in the Department of Health now, estimated gaps in the premise that all health workers licensed to practice are practicing in the Philippines, that’s the premise, then we would have shortages for physicians and radiologic technologists and x-ray technologists,” paliwanag ni Ronquillo, batay sa ulat ng GMA News.

Noong Hunyo, tinaasan ng gobyerno ang cap ng bilang ng mga health workers na maaring ma-deploy sa abroad, na hanggang 5,000, at ngayon ito ay nasa 6,500.

Pero, ang mga medical workers na nasa ilalim ng government-to-government labor agreements, ay exempted sa adjusted ceiling.

(Source: GMA News)