PHAPI head says 5K yearly deployment cap for healthcare workers enough

The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAPI) on Thursday said the deployment cap for healthcare workers must be restricted to 5,000 per year, lower than the current cap.

"Palagay ko po dapat ay i-restrict po natin 'yan. Siguro yung dating 5,000 a year would be enough," said PHAPI president Dr. Jose de Grano during the Laging Handa briefing when asked if the government should lift the deployment cap or increase it to 7,500.

(I think we should restrict that. Maybe the previous 5,000 deployment cap a year is enough.)

The POEA earlier said nurses that were deployed from January to May this year had already reached more than 2,000.

De Grano said private hospitals continue to deal with the increasing number of nurses moving to public health institutions or flying broad for employment.

She said this prompted some hospitals to reduce the number of their beds.

"But of course ang magiging epekto niyan siyempre [ay] kokonti ang maa-admit na mga pasyente [that will result in fewer patients to be admitted],” said.

In the same briefing, De Grano also called on the Department of Health (DOH) to immediately release the benefits of healthcare workers to encourage them to stay in the country.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) earlier said it has released P1.081 billion for the grant of sickness and death benefits to public and private healthcare workers and non-HCWs who contracted COVID-19 or may do so in line of duty amid the pandemic this year. —KBK, GMA News