President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to immediately address the shortage of nurses due to migration, which has been affecting the delivery of effective healthcare in the country.
In a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Healthcare Sector group in Malacanang, Marcos said “We have to be clever about the healthcare manpower. Our nurses are the best, buong mundo na ang kalaban natin dito.”
For its part, CHED Chairperson Prospero de Vera III said it is already carrying out interventions to address the shortage of nurses, which include retooling board non-passers, adopting nursing curriculum with exit credentials, redirecting non-practicing nurses and conducting exchange programs with other countries.
According to De Vera, CHED is also working on a flexible short-term masteral program to address the lack of instructors in nursing and medical schools.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health is assessing the status of the proposed legislation on the Magna Carta for Public Health Care Workers and Philippine Nursing Act while doing a study on the standardization of salaries of nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers.
Moreover, as agreed on the meeting, the PSAC will monitor new technologies in healthcare, study the feasibility of establishing remote diagnostics centers, and assess new medical technologies and their costs.
