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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ouch! Almost half of PH healthcare workers are JO, solons told

Ouch! Almost half of PH healthcare workers are JO, solons told

Published May 4, 2023 07:47 am
(MANILA BULLETIN)






Nearly half of the country's healthcare workers are job order (JO) employees. Thus, bared Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire Thursday, May 4 during the House Committee on Appropriations' oversight hearing on  the agency's budget usage. Vergeire asked the legislators to help remedy the situation increasing the number of plantilla positions. “Nakausap po namin ang iba’t ibang sektor ng healthcare worker natin (We've been talking to the different sectors of our healthcare workers) and one of our major issue is almost 40 to 50 percent of our healthcare workers working now in our facilities and even in the communities are job orders," she said. "So yun po ang inihihingi naming ng tulong sa inyo, baka pwede natin madagdagan ang plantilla positions (So that's the assistance that we're asking from you, if you could create more plantilla positions. Compared to regularized workers, JO employees lack certain benefits, as well as security of tenure. During the same hearing, Malasakit at Bayanihan party-list Rep. Anthony Rolando Golez brought up the reports thar the country was short of 95,000 doctors and 300,000 nurses. Golez said that the government’s funding of the construction of health facilities would only go to waste if there are no healthcare workers to man them. Vergeire said the limited plantilla positions is a factor in the shortage of local healthcare workers. Local healthcare workers have been credited by government for helping the Philippines survive the Covid-19 pandemic, from the fearful early months to the mass vaccination of Filipinos against the deadly disease. Committee on Appropriations Chairman and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co attended the proceedings.

Related Tags

plantilla positions House of Representatives filipino doctors Nurses Maria Rosario Vergeire job order
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