Gov’t Urged To Ban Overseas Deployment Of Filipino Doctors, Nurses Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman urged the government to impose a travel ban on foreign deployment of Filipino healthcare professionals and workers.

The lawmaker is demanding the temporary ban on overseas deployment of Filipino healthcare professionals and workers like physicians, nurses, and laboratory technicians.

“The United States reportedly plans to relax the entry of medical professionals and workers to lure them to work in its fight against the global contagion,” said Representative Lagman in a statement.

The lawmaker said “patriotism and self-protection” in the wake of the onslaught of the deadly 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are necessary for the Philippines to fight off the pandemic.

“With the Philippines’ unabated escalation of the number of persons under investigation (PUIs), persons under monitoring (PUMs), and persons confirmed positive for the novel coronavirus, we need all available medical professionals and healthcare workers to assist in the campaign against the viral menace,” Representative Lagman added. 

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He said that the ban must be coupled with a hefty increase in the salaries and allowances, including hazard pay, of medical frontline personnel in both public and private health facilities.

Representative Lagman warned that the highest number of novel coronavirus cases has been recorded in the United States with 100,973 infections over Italy’s 86,498 and China’s 81,340.

Source: MB