6 Saudi hospitals need 4,000 workers

MANILA, Philippines – Six of the largest military hospitals in Saudi Arabia are in need of more than 4,000 healthcare professionals, technicians and medical personnel, making it the biggest market for overseas Filipino workers, a recruitment leader said yesterday.

Lito Sarmiento, executive director of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME), said they believe that deployment to Saudi would not slow down despite the global crisis due to huge construction projects and increasing demands for medical personnel there.

In 2008, Saudi Arabia recruited some 8,000 nurses through private recruitment agencies and it has a standing order for 2,000 Muslim nurses with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Soriano added that Saudi hospitals are in need of doctors, nurses, administrative assistants, medical transcriptionists and medical technicians in radiology, cardio laboratory, CT scan, and nuclear medicine, among others.

Other vacancies are for housekeeping, horticulturists, gardeners, equipment technicians, firefighters, water treatment workers, civil technicians, plumbers, painters and other maintenance positions.

Soriano said Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Libya are the three remaining countries where hiring of foreign workers has not abated despite the worldwide crisis.

“They were able to manage the impact of the crisis,” said Soriano, chief executive officer and chairman of LBS E-Recruitment Solutions Corp.

He said Saudi’s labor force is strong because its rich citizens have invested more in local construction and health care businesses.

Qatar, on the other hand, was able to manage “sovereign funds” that are being used to continue construction projects, thus requiring foreign construction workers.

Soriano added that Libya, aside from being an oil-producing country, has a stable labor front because its money was not invested abroad owing to the trade embargo imposed in the past. – Sheila Crisostomo, Philippine Star