MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to tackle the staffing shortages and heavy workloads faced by public nurses in the country.
During his speech at the Philippine Nurses Association National Convention in Pasay City, the President stated that the government aims to reduce the nurse-to-patient ratio while quickly filling vacant nursing positions.
The Department of Health (DOH) has set an ideal nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:12, meaning one nurse for every 12 patients. However, current conditions in hospitals often see one nurse responsible for caring for as many as 50 patients during a single shift.
According to the President, collaboration is already underway with the DOH, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to expand training programs and create new pathways for nursing education.
The goal is to expedite the increase in the number of licensed healthcare workers, thereby alleviating the workload of existing nurses and ensuring proper service delivery to the public.
Malacañang also assured that it will continue to advocate for the benefits, protection, and professional growth of medical frontliners in the country.