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“After their tours of duty, the government may grant them recognition and the Department of Health or Professional Regulation Commission could issue them licenses. One proposal is to integrate them into a quick response corps for new threats.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa has hit the nail on the head with his plan to harness nursing graduates who failed to pass the board exam.

Professional Regulation Commission records show the passing median at 50 percent of the average 70,000 graduates who take the Nursing Licensure Exam yearly, which means some 35,000 idled graduates.

While most of those who didn’t make the grade would try again the following year — like the now-licensed teacher who finally passed the teacher boards after 14 tries — majority of the nursing flunkers look for jobs in other fields.

The DoH chief is not leaving anything to chance as the plan is to grant those who got grades of 70-74 percent a temporary license as they are presumed to have a firm grasp of the nursing basics.

During the coronavirus pandemic when health workers were in high demand, former Energy Secretary Al Cusi presented a similar proposal not just for those who missed the passing grade in nursing but also the medical board exams.

Cusi had a point. No matter the exam results graduates are graduates and they have an educational background in their fields that would be invaluable in an emergency.

Giving these nursing and medical grads jobs in their fields would give them the experience that could help them pass the next boards.

Under the Cusi formula, field experience could be an option for acquiring a license.

After their tours of duty, the government may grant them recognition and the Department of Health or Professional Regulation Commission could issue them licenses. One proposal is to integrate them into a quick response corps for new threats.

Covid-19 had a profound impact on healthcare systems worldwide and several lessons can be learned from it. Here are some of the key lessons that can be drawn from the pandemic for the healthcare system:

The pandemic has shown that healthcare systems need to be prepared for unexpected events, such as pandemics and other health emergencies. This includes having adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other critical medical equipment.

The pandemic highlighted the importance of healthcare systems being flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances. This includes being able to quickly repurpose resources, such as hospital beds and staff, to respond to emerging needs.

The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technology in healthcare, such as telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. These technologies have proven to be invaluable tools for healthcare providers to deliver care to patients while minimizing the risk of infection.

The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of collaboration and coordination between healthcare providers, public health agencies, and other stakeholders. This includes sharing information and resources to respond to the pandemic effectively.

Another excellent point raised in the Cusi proposal was the removal of any impediment to those seeking to pursue their professional future abroad.

The career choice should be left to the person and the local sector must learn to compete for quality talents instead of the government intervening to even the field.

Instead of them quitting the healthcare profession entirely, these health workers will continue to have the best experience in their profession in preparation for the eventuality that they could be absorbed into the local economy.

Herbosa said the prime benefit of tapping the expanded pool of health workers is that the nation will be provided the skills necessary to face another epidemic

“Every human life is valuable,” Herbosa stressed, which should be the guiding principle of the health sector to make use of all the resources available to it.

The pandemic has taught the world several lessons, the least of which is that nothing beats being prepared for the worst threat possible.

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Credit belongs to : tribune.net.ph