Gov�t hospitals uffering from exodus of nurses | |
Although the group has no solid data on the rate of turnover of nurses in public hospitals, Frances Prescilla Cuevas, national president of the National League of Philippine Government Nurses (NLPGN), said that it varies anywhere from 20 to 60 percent of the total number of nurses staying in a government hospital.
"We�re not calling our nurses to stay here forever but we�re also not telling them to leave. We just want this exodus to be regulated. You cannot hold back a person who wants to seek greener pastures elsewhere. We�re just trying to have a better way to retaining them by proper compensation," Cuevas said, adding that the figure is based on individual reports of hospitals nationwide.
Cuevas spoke during the celebration of the 43rd anniversary of the NLPGN and its two-day conference aimed to "rekindle the passion for nursing."
Christina Romero, training officer of nurses at the Tondo General Hospital, said that seven nurses from the institution are heading for abroad this month, one of them a head nurse.
NLPGN is hopeful that the government will implement Republic Act 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 that seeks to upgrade the salaries of government nurses from salary grade 10 to 15.
Cuevas explained that an entry-level nurse is currently entitled to a salary grade of 10 that is equivalent to P9,000. But if RA 9173 is implemented, it can shoot up to salary grade 15 that is equivalent to P13,000.
"The additional income will somehow tie them over and give them second thoughts about leaving," Cuevas said.
Earlier, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit acknowledged the fact that the country is now recognized internationally as a "hub" for quality nurses although the profession is also threatened with the continued exodus of Filipino nurses abroad.
