MANILA: The Philippines is considering allowing more nurses and other medical professionals to leave for jobs abroad after banning them from travel so they can fight COVID-19 at home, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said on Thursday (Sep 17).
Thousands of the nurses, who call themselves "priso-nurses" have appealed to the government to be allowed to travel, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
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The nurses say they feel underpaid, underappreciated and unprotected at home.
Health care workers from the Philippines are on the front lines of the pandemic at hospitals in the United States, Europe and the Middle East as well as back home.
The labour minister has proposed to expand exemptions to those who had contracts abroad as of Aug 31. So far it is only those with contracts as of Mar 8 who have been allowed to travel.
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Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told a media briefing that a proposal for a relaxation would be made on Monday to President Duterte, who will have the final say.
Foreign Affairs Minister Teodoro Locsin, who has called for the lifting of the ban, said in a tweet the Philippines has 400,000 nursing graduates without jobs so "they're rightly pissed".
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In Germany, there are 430 doctors and nurses per 10,000 people. In the Philippines, there are 65.
The Philippines has the highest number of recorded coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia with 276,289. Its 4,785 deaths are second only to Indonesia.
The health ministry on Thursday reported 3,375 new COVID-19 infections and 53 more deaths.
Labour Minister Silvestre Bello told nurses on Sep 11 he was confident the president would suppoRead More – Source
