MORE state universities and colleges are producing medical professionals during the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. compared to the previous administration, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said on Wednesday (23 May 2024).

The Department of Health presented during Wednesday’s sectoral meeting with President Marcos the department’s National Human Resources Master Plan 2020-2040.

This includes the proposed national workforce support system that aims to address the gap in human resources for health in line with the Philippines’ commitment to meet the United Nations sustainable development goals .

“May mga good news in the meeting. The CHED (Commission on Higher Education) described that under this administration, there are now 20 state universities and colleges that are graduating medical students,” Herbosa said during the press briefing in Malacañang.

During the sectoral briefing, CHED Chairperson Prospero De Vera III clarified that there are already 21 SUCs that offer medical programs while there are 3,000 scholars who chose to serve in underserved areas.

De Vera also told the President that there are now around 3,000 doctors to the barrio program from the previous 900.

“So, malaking improvement iyon from the previous eight in the past administration. And then, we are also increasing our output of skills through TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority),” Herbosa said.

According to the health chief, among those presented to the President is the need for human resources after the DOH identified gaps in the health sector.

He said about 190,000 personnel are needed to fill in the gaps of the Philippine health care system, considering the medical professionals leaving for overseas employment and those graduating from medical and nursing schools.

On the government’s thrust to hire healthcare associates, or nursing graduates that haven’t passed the board examination, Herbosa said the program has been continuing with the help of the private sector.

“So, tuloy-tuloy na iyong programa na iyan because most of them have gotten scholarship through the private sector – iyong members ng PSAC, Private Sector Advisory Council for Health. And may mga nakapasa na actually eh,” he told reporters.

“So, may mga na-enroll na diyan, may nakapasa na and some of them I think 140 plus and they’re now hired as nurses kasi pasado na,” Herbosa said.