The Department of Health has been called out by an organization of nurses to prioritize employing thousands of unemployed nurses who have recently completed board tests over recruiting unlicensed nurses in government hospitals.
This comes after Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa announced on Monday that the DOH will grant temporary licenses to nursing graduates who failed their board test with scores ranging from 70 to 74%.
Jocelyn Andamo, Secretary General of Filipino Nurses United, questioned the decision, citing the number of nurses who passed recent licensure examinations yet remain in the Philippines.
According to Andamo, at least 18,000 nurses passed the December 2022 nursing board exam.
Andamo went on to say that if the DOH wants to keep nurses in the Philippines, it must first address concerns such as compensation, job security, and benefits.
According to the 2022 Compensation Standardization Law, the starting monthly compensation for nurses in the government is set at P32,097, although entry-level nurses in the private sector earn between P8,000 and P13,500.
Herbosa said that the DOH's intention to hire unlicensed nursing graduates could help address the country's nursing deficit, as health professionals continue to leave the country in droves for better job opportunities abroad.
In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said Herbosa's plan underlined the importance of "protecting the integrity" of the country's testing system by closely sticking to its 75% minimum passing mark.
Based on the data released by the Commission on Higher Education in March, there is a 126,044-person shortfall in meeting the World Health Organization's guidelines for the number of required nurses.
According to government data, 316,405 or 51% of the Philippines' 617,898 licensed nurses have relocated to foreign countries.
Meanwhile, only 172,598 people, or 28%, work in local healthcare facilities.
