The Chairman of the House of Representatives Health Committee has asked the Higher Education Committee to allow the reopening of nursing courses due to the shortage of health workers, especially nurses in the country and abroad.
Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, leader of the panel, also urged House of Representatives leaders to review the moratorium on nursing programs as contained in CHED Memorandum 32, which was released in 2010. .
CHED imposed the moratorium on the opening of all undergraduate and graduate nursing programs and four other courses beginning in the 2011-2012 academic year due to the proliferation of colleges offering nursing programs. undergraduate and graduate and due to a gradual decline in the performance of nursing graduates, which indicates the deterioration of education in nursing courses.
Tan, in a privileged speech, said that “even before the COVID-19 pandemic, a global shortage of nurses was already predicted.” This was highlighted in a World Health Organization report which calls for urgent investment in nursing as the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for nurses.
Tan is a registered nurse who went on to study to become a doctor.
“The role of nurses in our healthcare system cannot be overstated, not only in delivering quality healthcare, but also in achieving our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They make essential contributions to the achievement of national and global goals related to a range of health priorities, including universal health care, mental health and communicable and non-communicable diseases, emergency preparedness and response , patient safety and the provision of integrated, people-centred services. care,” said Tan, adding that “pre-COVID-19 pandemic data reveals that the world lacks a global nursing workforce commensurate with universal health coverage and SDG targets. “.
“Given this context and its potential impact on our health
system of care, I believe that now is the most opportune time for CHED to assess the relevance of CMO 32. In fact, this representation urges the Commission on Higher Education to allow other educational institutions higher to open new nursing programs to enable us to produce more nurses,” Tan said.
The World Health Organization’s State of the World’s Nursing 2020 projects that without action, there will be a shortage of 4.6 million nurses worldwide by 2030.
In the Philippines, the projected shortage of nurses is projected to be 249,843 by 2030 unless greater investments are made now to retain them in the Philippine healthcare sector.