25-K extra health workers in 2018

THE national government is now recruiting an additional 25,000 health professionals for deployment to the rural areas next year under various provisional staff augmentation programs, a lawmaker said on Sunday.

The Department of Health (DOH) has opened application windows at itsregional offices for 20,527 nurses, 3,108 midwives, 446 physicians and324 dentists -- all for deployment to the countryside from January 2,2018 to December 31, 2018, according to Surigao del Sur Rep. JohnnyPimentel.

The DOH is also enlisting several medical technologists, pharmacists, universal health care implementers, public health associates and family health associates.

We’ve already set aside P9.7 billion to pay for their salaries andbenefits next year.

I urged health professionals who do not have any gainful employment yet, or those simply wishing to help underserved communities while getting paid well, to sign up.

Those who join up can use the experience and training that they’ll gainto later on obtain even better jobs elsewhere.

The DOH has said that while those called up will not enjoy fixed items,they will nonetheless receive the same starting pay as their counterparts holding permanent posts in government.

For instance, enlisted nurses will receive a monthly salary of P29,000plus benefits, while physicians will get P70,000 plus benefits, based onthe higher pay rates set to take effect Jan. 1, 2018, in accordance withthe third tranche of Salary Standardization Law of 2016.

The recruitment and selection of the additional health professionals began on October 1 and will last until December 31 this year.

Application forms may be downloaded from the DOH website, and should besubmitted together with an application letter addressed to the DOH’sregional director, authenticated copies of diplomas/transcript ofrecords (for those applying for the first time), and copies of theirboard rating/civil service eligibility as well as certificates oftraining or seminars attended.