POEA sees more nurses leaving

The regional office of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration expects more nurses to apply for work overseas this year. So far POEA has processed 815 working visas for nurses going abroad this year.

At the Kapihan sa Philippine Information Agency yesterday, POEA regional information officer Roy Ligad said the figure was based on the working visas processed by the Cebu office of the POEA from January to June.

Last year, the POEA's regional office processed over 1,510 working visas for nurses, Ligad said.

The top three destinations for Filipino nurses seeking to work abroad this year are United Kingdom with 255 nurses, Ireland, 155, and United States, 49.

Ligas said it is expected a higher number of nurses would seek greener pastures abroad this year compared to last year.

Meanwhile, Dr. Arnulfo Jaranay, president of the Cebu chapter of the Operating Nurses Association of the Philippines, said their colleagues cannot be prevented from leaving because of better opportunities abroad.

But Jaranay admitted the mass exodus of Filipino nurses and doctors has left a great vacuum in the health service, citing the good compensation abroad compared to their frustrating situation in the country.

Dr. Helen Retuta of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center said the exodus of Filipino nurses abroad is a wake-up call for the government to adopt measures to prevent them from leaving the country.

Retuta said that presently, only two nurses are attending to about 60 patients occupying a single ward at the VSMMC. Sh said interns from nursing schools have augmented their workforce, but they still have to be supervised. Dr. Marilou Viray, president of Cebu Medical Society, also said that like any other professionals, doctors and nurses have many choices of going abroad.

But Jaranay warned that the negative impact of the exodus would soon be felt not only in the health sector, but in the entire country as well.- Gregg M. Rubio