By PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA — Every public school in the country should employ at least one full-time school nurse, according to Nueva Viscaya’s Rep. Carlos Padilla.
This can provide “gainful employment” for thousands of jobless registered nurses in the country, Padilla said.
A total of 221,000 registered nurses in the country do not have a job, according to a report by the Department of Labor and Employment.
About 17 million students were enrolled in public schools in the school year 2011–2012, Padilla said, citing Philippine Statistics Agency data.
“Assigning a nurse to every public school in the country will be a step toward providing accessible health care to our children,” he said.
The Department of Education Rationalization Program by the Department of Budget and Management sets a new staffing pattern for Schools Division Offices.
Schools Divisions classified as “very large” shall have 11 positions for Nurse II; “medium” schools divisions, one or two positions; and “small” schools divisions, one or none, according to the Rationalization Program./PN
