A leader of the House of Representatives on Thursday, May 6, backed the proposal of Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to tap unregistered nurses as additional health workers to supplement the current health workforce in the country amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
House Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera said mobilizing nursing graduates who have yet to take the board exam would help fill the gap arising from shortages of healthcare workers during the pandemic.
“I’m sure there are a lot of them who are willing to help and are just waiting to be tapped to fight against COVID-19,” Herrera said.
Velasco said the Department of Health (DOH) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) can make a special arrangement to allow expected takers of nursing licensure exam to work as health workers under the supervision of a registered nurse or doctor.
Herrera noted that some hospitals have reportedly refused to accept COVID-19 patients due to lack of spaces and medical workers and staff.
“With the current COVID-19 situation prevailing in the country, we need all the help we can get to ensure that we will emerge victorious in our battle against the coronavirus,” Herrera said.
Citing DOH data as of April 25, Velasco noted that a total of 17,365 health workers have been infected with Covid-19, 195 of them are active cases.
The same data showed that 88 health workers have died, while 17,082 have recovered during the same period.
He said the PRC has decided to postpone this year’s first batch of the nursing board exam scheduled on May 30 and 31 upon the request of the Philippine Nursing Association as the country faced a surge in coronavirus cases.
The exam was rescheduled to November 21 and 22 this year.PNA
