Options mulled over health workers’ deployment ban

Alexis Romero (The Philippine Star ) - September 14, 2020 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — The government’s pandemic task force has provided President Duterte options on how to deal with the concerns of health workers covered by the deployment ban, a Cabinet official said. The deployment ban, which has been criticized by some sectors as a violation of the right to travel, covers healthcare professionals who do not have contracts and travel documents on or before March 8, 2020. The policy seeks to ensure that the Philippines has enough health workers as it grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, officials have said. “We are communicating with the Office of the President, to President Duterte himself. We have presented options to President Duterte and we have stated in our letter to the President how many nurses would be affected and how many nurses would benefit if we allow those who signed contracts... beyond March (to leave),” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a live online session last Saturday. “We have provided President Duterte options and let us just wait for the decision of the President regarding this matter,” he added. Nograles, also the vice chairman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, did not elaborate on the options but claimed that the issue has been discussed repeatedly in officials’ meetings. He encouraged healthcare workers to seek job opportunities in the Philippines, noting that the government is on hiring mode because of the establishment of quarantine facilities. “If you do not have work, apply for a job in DOH (Department of Health)... While we are opening additional isolation and quarantine facilities, we would need additional health workers,” the Cabinet secretary said. Last week, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he has recommended that health workers who completed their papers as of Aug. 31 be exempted from the ban. He said about 1,200 more healthcare professionals would be allowed to work abroad if the recommendation is approved.

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