Oman to hire 3,000 Pinoy nurses, doctors

MANILA, Philippines - Employment opportunities abroad seem to be getting a little brighter for Filipino nurses and other medical workers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Friday.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that over 3,000 vacancies are now open to specialized Filipino nurses and doctors in Oman.

Baldoz said the Sultanate of Oman has announced a plan to hire 3,288 foreign doctors and nurses to address its shortage of medical workers.

“This latest positive development will certainly boost the chances of our highly skilled and highly qualified medical workers, particularly our nurses, of getting a job in Oman if they are inclined to,” she said.

Citing a report from Philippine Ambassador to Oman Joselito Jimeno, Baldoz said the sultanate is facing a shortage of around 8,900 doctors and nurses by 2015.

She added that the government of Oman conveyed to Philippine officials their intention to hire more nurses from the Philippines, particularly nurses specializing in obstetrics, gynecology, anesthesiology, surgery (neuro and cardio), intensive care, and psychiatrics.    

Professional nurses in Oman receive an average basic salary of US$703.79.

It was reported that Oman needs 4,464 doctors by 2015, but can only source 1,176 of them locally.

The Omani government has already increased its budget for the Ministry of Health (MOH) in an effort to address the current shortage of medical workers.