Lawmaker pushes for the passage of a bill that increases the minimum wage of public nurses, as well as encourages students to take up nursing in their college.
A lawmaker is pressing for the adoption of a bill that would raise the minimum monthly wage of government nurses by 75 percent, from P36,619 to P63,997.
“The minimum base pay of nurses working in public health institutions shall not be lower than Salary Grade 21 prescribed under Republic Act No. 11466, or the Salary Standardization Law [SSL] of 2019.” Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo said in House Bill (HB) No. 5276.
“Once enacted, we expect our measure to help slow down the rapid migration of Filipino nurses to English-speaking overseas labor markets,” Business Mirror quoted Rillo.
The measure would not only increase the wages of nurses, but it will also encourage a greater number of high school graduates to pursue a degree in nursing for their college.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) lifted a 10-year-old ban on the establishment of new BSN programs last July because of a growing shortage of nurses. This is caused by many practitioners continuing to leave for higher-paying jobs abroad.
The Department of Health (DoH) also informed that public and private hospitals in the country need 106,541 nurses to fill vacancies.
The bill amends the 20-year-old Philippine Nursing Law or Republic Act (RA) No. 9173 which fixed the minimum wage for public nurses as Salary Grade 15.
Salary Grade 15 currently pays a monthly minimum of P35,097, which will grow to P36,619 on January 1, 2023, when the fourth and final tranche of increases under the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) takes effect.
According to the World Health Organization, the shortage of nurses is expected to be around 249,843 by 203 for the Philippines unless greater investment is made now to retain them in the local health sector.
Low pay has contributed to the scarcity of nurses, which is why majority of nurses work overseas. The bill will encourage current and future nurses to stay and serve in the country.
Tags: #Bill, #Nurses, #MinimumWage, #Increase, #Nursing