According to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao and Japan's Nikkei Asia,To solve the problemThere was a significant outflow of nurses,Resulting in nationwideThe shortage of nurses in public hospitals, announced by the Philippine Ministry of Health,Plan to hire thousands of nurses who have not yet obtained nurse certificationA prospective nurse.

Philippine Health Minister Herbosa said that qualified nurses have been attracted by high salaries overseas, resulting in a shortage of approximately4500 nurse vacancies urgently need to be filled. According to official statistics from the Philippines, approximately 316000 nurses worked abroad in 2021.

To address the shortage of local medical personnel, American hospitals and personnel agenciesAlways onActively recruiting Filipino nurses. Even Filipino nurses who are already working in the Middle East,Also attracted to work in other places such as Texas and California in the United States.

In the United States, Filipino nurses are favored because they are closely related to Western culture, abilities, and compassion, and are willing to work long hours and take on additional shifts even on weekends and holidays.

Hobosa said that if we don't break the routine of hiring prospective nurses, the supply of nurses in the Philippines may be depleted. He pointed out that the hospital does not have enough nurses and will be forced to reduce its operating scale.If the required nurse to patient ratio is not met, the hospital will not be able to renew its license. For example, a hospital with 100 beds has been reduced to only 60 beds due to a shortage of nurses

According to the introduction,Between 2022 and 2023, over 10000 "prospective nurses" failed to pass the certification exam. Candidates who fail to pass the certification exam but score between 70% and 74.9% can obtain a temporary employment certificate. In addition to alleviating the shortage of manpower, the authorities also hope to encourage prospective nurses to strive for formal certification.

On the other hand, the Philippine Nurses Organization pointed out that the government has failed to ensure that the increase in nurse salaries keeps up with the rising cost of living. The annualized inflation rate in the Philippines this yearIn April, it was 6.6%, the highest in Southeast Asia, and it is estimated that it will still hover between 5% and 6% by the end of the year.

According to the data integration platformAccording to IPrice statistics, the salary of Filipino nurses is among the lowest in Southeast Asia, with an experienced nurse earning approximately 43800 Philippine pesos (approximately 5652 yuan) per month, 57% lower than that of Vietnamese nurses.

The average salary of nurses in the Philippines is even lower. According to data from the Ministry of Labor and Employment,In 2018, the average monthly income of nurses was only about 14900 pesos, only 19% higher than the minimum wage in Manila.

 

Secretary General of the Philippine Nurses Federation, Adamo, said:Almost all nurses have side jobs, such as selling things online, and some also work part-time at another hospital. What evidence does the government need to admit that we don't have enough income

Regarding the government's plan to hire unlicensed nurses, Andamo believes that this may pose risks to patients and recommends that they only serve as nursing assistants.