Unemployed registered nurses who are willing to serve in their hometowns and who meet the requirements set by the government may qualify for the training cum employment under the government’s Nurses Assigned in Rural Service (NARS) for the second half of 2009.
Dr.Joji Yu, NARS Coordinator of the Department of Health Caraga announced that there are a total of 365 nurses deployed to rural areas in different parts of the region that commenced on October 16.
The Philippine government launched the NARS program purposely to address the increasing number of unemployed nurses in the country in the midst of the global financial crisis experienced in 2008 until this year.
This was implemented early this year where President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said the government would spend P500 million for this program.
Under the NARS program some 5,000 to 6,000 nurses will be hired by the government to serve as “warriors of wellness” in poverty-stricken areas.
They will be assigned in their hometowns and will be tasked to implement the following (1) initiate health and nutrition programs and first line diagnosis (2) to inform communities about water sanitation and health surveillance (3) immunize children and their mother.
This program will enable nurses to gain the necessary training and experience needed for overseas employment. Hired nurses will work for 6-12 months and will receive a monthly allowance of P8,000 plus P2,000 counterpart fund from the local government units where they will be assigned.
The nurses will act as an augmentation force in different hospitals which were mostly undermanned due to budget constraints.
Dr. Yu also announced that the Department of Education is joining in the implementation of NARS program in addition to the DOH, DOLE, and PRC.
DepEd was included because these nurses also serve as roving nurses for rural schools to focus on the students’ health aspects.
Dr. Yu added, these nurses employed under the NARS program will also have a major role in case of a second wave of A(H1N1) that would hit the country.
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