The Department of Health (DOH) encouraged medical professionals anew to apply for their emergency hiring program to aid in the country's fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The DOH is looking to hire over 2,600 more healthcare workers under its emergency hiring program.

“We are still appealing to those with medical training to join in the effort. Let’s save people. Someone’s mom or dad, son or daughter, spouse, or sibling needs critical care,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a statement.

A total of 10,693 openings for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers were created under the emergency hiring program that was launched last April, the DOH said. As of September 12, the agency has hired 8,056 health workers.

“Nurses account for the biggest chunk of hires by profession, followed by medical technologists. Some 2,701 nurses were hired under the emergency hiring program, followed by the 1,356 medical technologists,” the DOH noted.

It said that “some 43 percent hired under the program” were deployed to public hospitals under the DOH, 17 percent were sent to laboratories or COVID-19 diagnostics facilities, 15 percent went to isolation and quarantine facilities or temporary treatment and monitoring facilities, 12 percent were sent to local government units and other hospitals, and seven percent were deployed to COVID-19 referral facilities.

“We would like to express our gratitude to the brave health workers who heeded the call to serve and protect our patients, and we appeal for more medical frontliners to join us in fighting COVID-19,” said Duque.

“Tayo ding mga kapwa Pilipino ang magtutulungan para labanan at alagaan ang kapwa natin Pilipino sa kinakaharap nating pandemya Together, let us beat COVID-19. We will heal as one,” he added.