The Filipino Nurses United (FNU) has called for the total lifting of the ban overseas deployment of nurses and other health care workers.
In an interview with Unang Hirit on Thursday, FNU Secretary-General Jocelyn Andamo said nurses have the right to seek better opportunities and better pay abroad if it's not being provided to them by their home country.
“Nananawagan po kami na sana i lift na po ang deployment ban kasi nag spend na po sila ng almost hundred thousands para sa kanilang mga examinations and documents (We are calling for the lifting of the deployment ban because our nurses have already spent hundreds of thousands for their examinations and documents),” Andamo said.
Andamo said she also believes that the country has enough nurses to assist in the government's COVID-19 response.
On September 7, seven nurses which had employment contracts in the United Kingdom were prohibited from leaving the country due to deployment ban.
Andamo said five out of the seven were able to leave already on Monday, the same day they were barred from leaving. As for the other two nurses, Andamo said they were supposed to leave the country Wednesday night.
Health workers have earlier pleaded the government to exempt those who already have employment contracts from the deployment ban.
The Department of Health (DOH), for its part, said the decision on whether or not to give exemptions to the health care workers is up to the Interagency Task Force (IATF).