Gabriela party-list lawmaker seeks protection of nurses from exploitation | Sun.Star.

By Cheryl G. Cruz
February 2, 2012

GABRIELA party-list Representative Emmi de Jesus wants to put a stop to the reported unscrupulous practice of many hospitals, both public and private, of using volunteerism or on-the-job training to exploit nurses.

“Our nurses have been poorly compensated, overworked and threatened of their job security. It’s about time that we enact legislation that strongly signals the state policy on the protection of nurses and other health workers,” she stressed in House Bill 5641, which she principally authored, together with other sectoral lawmakers like Representatives Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares (Bayan Muna), Rafael Mariano (Anakpawis), Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers) and Raymond Palatino (Kabataan).

Citing reports from the Philippine Nurses’ Association, the lawmaker said “both government public hospitals have been gaining profit in the form of exorbitant fees collected from nurses and also saving money by not hiring regular registered nurses.”

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