Private hospitals reeling from hospital workers shortage –PHAPI

Private hospitals are bearing the brunt of shortage in healthcare workers as the country still reels from the COVID-19 pandemic, a healthcare industry leader said Saturday.

In an interview on Dobol B TV on Saturday, Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) president Dr. Jose Rene de Grano said that while private hospitals are prepared to accommodate COVID-19 patients, their problem is the shortage of healthcare workers.

“Maraming healthcare worker na umaalis sa pribadong ospital, either lumilipat sila sa public hospital o nangingibang bansa,” de Grano said.

(A lot of healthcare workers who left private hospitals have either transferred to public hospitals or have gone overseas.)

“Nararamdaman ng private hospitals yung kakulangan ng healthcare workers,” he said.

(Private hospitals are feeling the impact of shortage of healthcare workers.)

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said the country needs 106,000 nurses both in public and private facilities and hospitals.

Apart from the shortage of nurses, the DOH said the country also has a shortage of 67,000 physicians; 6,000 pharmacists; 5,500 radiologic technologists; 4,400 medical technologists; 1,600 nutritionists; 700 midwives; 223 physical therapists; and 87 dentists.

The health workers also appealed for higher pay to help them cope with the high cost of living.

With this, the DOH exhorted Congress anew to work on the amendment of Republic Act No. 7305 or Magna Carta of Public Health Workers to include health workers in private hospitals nationwide and to standardize the salary and benefits of health workers in a bid to halt their exodus. —KG, GMA News

Private hospitals reeling from hospital workers shortage –PHAPI
Source: Filipino Viral News PH