American Dream Review Institute Inc.

With the economic crisis still without end in sight, Filipino nurses working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly those hired effective July 1, 2009, will have a fatter take home pay as the Ministry of Health headed by Minister Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rabeeah raised their salary to 40 percent from the old basic rate of Saudi riyal (SR) 2,550.

This increases the affected newly hired Filipino nurses’ monthly pay from SR2,550 to SR3,570, approximately P45,774.54 in today’s exchange rate (SR1=P12.8220), the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Recruitment Office (SRO) Manila headed by Fahad S. Al-Msaibeeh, employment attaché, said.

Covered by the salary increase are those hired effective July 1 and with at least one year working experience after passing the nurses’ board examinations. At the same time, the official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) urged Filipino nurses who want to work in the kingdom to make sure their documents are in order and contain no fraudulent records because the Saudi government is very strict in applying their laws.

Much earlier this year, Saudi Ambassador Mohammad Ameen Wali revealed his government’s plans to hire about 5,000 Filipino nurses as new medical facilities are being constructed in the kingdom as well as filling the manpower of existing facilities. The embassy had relayed this to the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) under Secretary Marianito Roque for a government-to-government hiring of the nurses.

A delegation from the Saudi health ministry visited the Philippines recently and interviewed thousands of nurses for immediate hiring. Nurses to be assigned to Makkah and Madinah must be Muslim, while other Saudi areas accept both Muslim and non-Muslim workers. Saudi Arabia remains the top destination of Filipinos going abroad to work.

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Despite the global crisis, Filipina nurses and caregivers are still in demand in the United Kingdom. Even nurses who have not taken the board exams can qualify to work in a UK-based caring home. The good part is that the British Embassy in Manila has shortened the processing of UK work and student visas. What used to be a three- to four-month processing can now be over in just four to six weeks.

Consul General Teresa de Vega and British Ambassador Designate Stephen Lillie were exclusively interviewed by the ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau. “Meron naman po demand para sa mga nurses, para sa ibang skilled professionals,” said de Vega. “I think it’s obviously an area of opportunity. How many people will be recruited obviously has to be determined by the health service here in accordance with points-based system,” added Ambassador Designate Lillie.

The Caring Career Training (CCT) Company is one of the four legitimate recruiters of Filipina nurses and carers into the UK through a student visa. It requires a minimum two-year school training. The nurses and carers receive a monthly modest pay, which progresses depending on their performance at the assigned caring home.

Almost 200 nurses had already been recruited by CCT, and they appear to be happy with the training facilities and accommodation. “May mga paperworks talaga. May mga workbooks, mga sasagutan,,, related naman sa work,” commented Joanne Timbol. “Naghahanap din sila ng mga work plans namin pero hindi naman kami pinapabayaan,” said Sheila Gonzaga.

But CCT clarified that there is an initial corresponding free of 3,500 pounds (P300,000) to cover training, food and accommodation expenses including the visa. This does not yet cover the plane fare which the applicant has to pay. Jay Mariano, CCT overseas director, said, “In the Philippines, we do not receive the money. What happens is that they do the transactions straight to the UK. Para po may receipt sila .”

Based on statistics, there is an annual increase of 10 percent in the manpower requirements of UK caring homes. Unlike in the Philippines, the population of adults is much higher in the UK. Apart from nurses, the Philippine Embassy said there is also a demand for plumbers and electricians.

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For more than a decade, the U.S. has faced a shortage of nurses to staff hospitals and nursing homes. While the current recession has encouraged some who had left the profession to return, about 100,000 positions remain unfilled. Experts say that if more is not done to entice people to enter the field—and to expand the U.S.’s nurse-training capacity—that number could triple or quadruple by 2025. President Barack Obama’s goal of expanding health coverage to millions of the uninsured could also face additional hurdles if the supply of nurses can’t meet the demand.

Some lawmakers are looking to the immigration pipeline as one means to raise staffing levels. In May, Representative Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) introduced a bill that would allow 20,000 additional nurses to enter the U.S. each year for the next three years as a temporary measure to fill the gap. If the bill doesn’t pass on its own, lawmakers may include it in a comprehensive immigration reform package. Obama is slated to meet with congressional leaders on June 25 to discuss reforming U.S. immigration laws.

Hospital administrators such as William R. Moore in El Centro, Calif., a sparsely populated town 100 miles east of San Diego, see the Wexler bill as a potential life raft. Moore is chief human resources director at El Centro Regional Medical Center, a 135-bed public hospital that typically has 30 open positions for registered nurses (RNs). While it’s hard to lure nurses from nearby big cities (San Diego is 100 miles west), Moore says he could quickly recruit dozens of eager, qualified nurses from the Philippines if the government allocated more visas. “All we want is temporary relief,” says Moore. “Let us get a group of experienced RN hires from the Philippines, and we won’t ask for more.”

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http://amdreamcebu.multiply.com/journal/item/69/Immigration_More_Foreign_Nurses_Needed

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The Embassy of Sudan lauded 20 Filipino nurses who conducted a medical mission for the Sudanese community in Eastern Saudi Arabia. Sudanese Consul General Mohammad Ahmed Ali thanked Pinoy nurses for finding time to help out their compatriots. “I would like to express my great thanks to the Filipino staff and our sisters from the nurses’ staff and the doctors staff for their well organized day,” said the Consul General.

The nurses used their day off to give free medical services to the Sudanese community. Aside from the Consul General, Sudanese professionals also showed their gratitude to the Filipino nurses. “I would like to thank the Filipino nurses who help us present this medical mission in Sudanese Day in a nice way and really the Filipino nurses they are helpful, cooperative and nice,” said general practitioner Dr. Manal Abdulla.

Support Service Manager Gafar Usman also thanked Filipino nurses “who help us too much in our day.” The show of gratitude further boosted the morale of the nurses who were proud to be part of the event. “It’s been an honor for me to be part of this activity especially to help Sudanese in their Sudanese Day,” sad staff nurse Junielyn Marte. “Na-impart ko yong trabaho ko dito sa KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) as a nurse so I am proud and overwhelmed na nandito ako ngayon,” another staff nurse, Halim Camama said.

Infection and training coordinator Analyn Imperial said the medical mission was a response to the Filipinos’ concern about the health needs of the Sudanese community. For X-Ray technician Louvel Pallada, the medical mission was to show that Filipinos do not only look after each other.

They also try to contribute, in their own little way, to help other people regardless of nationality. The medical mission was held at the Mohammad Al-Dossary Hospital. Next month, a similar mission will be conducted for the Pakistani community. “Para maging maayos ang flow ng aming medical mission at isa rin para mapatunayan nating mga Filipino na magagaling talaga tayo at quality ang ating mga service,” said nursing director Mary Jane Tupas. “Health is very important and I think the Filipino nurses are doing an excellent job in looking after our patients no matter what nationalities they are,” said the hospital’s director general Abdul Fettah Ennayel.

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http://amdreamcebu.multiply.com/journal/item/60/Pinoy_Nurses_Praised_for_FREE_medical_services

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A total of 270 nurses and caregivers who applied under JPEPA or the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) left for Japan last May 10. They are the first batch of health care workers given the opportunity to work abroad as a nurse.

The second batch of 10 workers is scheduled to leave on May 31, for a total of 280 successful applicants. There are still 86 positions available for there are originally, 366 job vacancies for 134 Japanese institutions and facilities.

A total of 92 nurses and 188 caregivers was facilitated by Japan International Corporation of Welfare Services (JICWELS). This is the governing body of Japan for overseas workers and it like the counterpart of POEA in the Philippines.

Before they can work in hospitals and care facilities, they will first undergo language and culture training for six months. Meanwhile, others, specifically the second batch of workers will not go through this training because they are already proficient in the Japanese language.

These nurses are set to take the Kangoshi licensure examination set for February 2010. Meanwhile, the caregivers will take the national certification examination for Kaigofukushishi after at least three years of work experience in Japan.

Source:
http://amdreamcebu.multiply.com/journal/item/59/First_batch_of_nurses_caregivers_leave_for_Japan_under_JPEPA

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