MANILA, Philippines – The government should look into the practice of hospitals that require registered nurses to pay for their training, a health workers group said Saturday.
Nurses should not be made to pay for work rendered in hospitals, said Dr. Leah Paquiz, founding president of Ang Nars.
“Nag-o-on-the-job training (OJT) volunteerism, sila pa ang nagbabayad, tapos iyung certificate [issued by hospitals], hindi naman po siya qualified maging employment certificate,” Paquiz revealed.
She said the issue should be investigated by the Department of Labor and the Department of Health.
One registered nurse, Ryan Garcia, said he feels like he is still a student even after passing the board exam.
He said he is still undergoing training and instead of receiving a salary, he is required to pay P7,000 for a 6-month training at a private hospital.
“Mga registered nurse na kami, so qualified na rin po siguro kami na makatanggap ng suweldo,” he said.
“Camille,” another registered nurse, also has the same plight.
She has been doing OJT for 2 years and went through a volunteer nurse program. She has yet to receive a salary.
“Iyon nga po, we have no choice. Kasi kapag hindi po naming pinayagan, saan po kami pupulutin?” she asked.
Paquiz said more than 500,000 nurses in the country are either jobless or underemployed.
A Senate committee led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is reportedly set to look into the issue. – Report from Alex Santos, ABS-CBN News
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