Herbosa sees PH nurses depleted in 3-5 years if exodus not addressed

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said on Tuesday that the number of nurses working in the Philippines may be exhausted in a few years if the problem of them opting for better-paying jobs abroad is not addressed.

This is why, Herbosa said, he is pushing to grant temporary licenses to board-eligible nursing graduates and have them work as nurses in government hospitals.

He reiterated that 4,500 plantilla items for nurses are currently vacant in over 70 hospitals of the Department of Health (DOH) nationwide.

“Kaya tinututukan ko na ngayon pa lang kasi kapag wala tayong ginawa ngayon, nakikita ko na in a few more years, maybe three or five years, ubos ang ating nurses. So kailangan ginagawan ko ng paraan para dumami ulit ang ating nurses,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(That's why I'm focusing on it right now because if we don't do anything now, I can see that in a few more years, maybe three or five years, our nurses will run out. So I have to find a way to increase our nurses again.)

Herbosa is planning to take in nursing graduates who scored 70-74% in the board exam to work for the government even though they did not pass the exam, given that they retake and pass the board exam after a certain period of time.

These temporary licensed nurses will then have to render up to four years of return service to a government hospital after they pass their board exam before they are allowed to go abroad.

While stressing that hiring unlicensed nursing graduates is only a temporary solution to the exodus problem, Herbosa said there might be a crisis in the years to come if it is not addressed eventually.

“I saw the figures, mas madami ‘yung umaalis kesa sa napo-produce natin [more nurses are leaving than what we are producing]. In a few more years, I don’t know how many but I think it can be counted by the fingers of one hand. In a few years, if we don’t do anything, maubusan tayo ng nurses [we will run out of nurses],” he added.

DOH records showed there were 44,602 physicians and 178,629 nurses working in the country, a far cry from the Professional Regulatory Commission’s records showing 95,000 licensed doctors and 509,000 licensed nurses.

The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI), meanwhile, said that 40- 50% of nurses in private hospitals have resigned for higher pay in the last two years.

In May, former DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire bared that it would take 12 to 23 years for the country to address the shortage of nurses and doctors, respectively.

In his proposal, Herbosa said the starting salary of the temporary licensed nurses could range from P35,000 to P40,000, which will go higher with experience.

He also said the private sector has offered to shoulder the expenses for the board review of the eligible nursing graduates. 

‘Good alternative’

Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) president Dr. Rontgene Solante backed Herbosa's plan, saying nursing graduates already possess the skills after completing a four-year degree. 

“I think it’s a good alternative plan… Ang importante dito [the important thing here is], these are all board eligible. Meaning, they are already competent enough to do nursing work kasi graduate na sila sa nurse [because they graduated in the nursing program],” he said in a public briefing.

According to Solante, graduates need to receive training to become more competent and engaged in work that is supervised and taught by the regular nursing staff. 

'Short-term solution'

However, at least two senators said the government must address the root cause of the shortage, which is the low salaries of nurses.

“The proposal to allow non-board passers to practice nursing and grant them temporary licenses is a short-term solution. The root causes of the shortage lie in the significant number of nurses leaving the country to seek higher-paying jobs abroad,” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said in a text message to reporters.

“We should take a look at nurses' salaries and provide more incentives for them to stay and practice in our nation,” he added.

Senator Nancy Binay raised the same point, suggesting that the government prioritize hiring unemployed nurses instead.

“Ang pinaka-praktikal ay i-prioritize nating i-hire ang mga unemployed nurses… 'Yung budget sa pagha-hire ng underboard, bakit di na lang natin ibigay sa ating nurses?” she asked.

Binay suggested the government provide a certain level of care, respect, and compassion to overworked nurses currently serving in public hospitals; review, amend, and offer better-paying contracts to nurses; provide better benefits; and rationalize their workloads.

“Sila ang backbone ng healthcare system, and it is only fair to protect our essential workforce and reasonably compensate them,” she said.

If the DOH is serious about fixing the system, filling the gap, and making the salaries of healthcare workers competitive, Binay said the Senate is willing to provide the necessary tools and budget to improve the state of the country’s public health. —with Hana Bordey/KG/VBL, GMA Integrated News