The Philippine government has decided to slow down the deployment of Filipino nurses in Europe particularly the United Kingdom and Germany due to the threat of a new strain of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Instead of suspending deployment, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said they opted to slow the sending of medical workers to the host countries.

“In the UK, it’s risky at this time, and also in Germany. We are not suspending (deployment), we’re just slowing it down,” he said in a radio interview on Saturday.

“We make sure that before they will be deployed, they have to sign a waiver, acknowledging that they know what they are getting into, the risks in the country where they are going and they will not blame us. It has to be a waiver,” he added.

The government earlier banned the sending of medical sector workers to ensure that the country has an adequate number of health care workers as the need arises due to COVID-19.

Early this month, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has lifted the temporary ban on the deployment of nurses.

Through a Governing Board Resolution, it has allowed newly hired nurses, nursing aides, and nursing assistants to work abroad.

Around 5,000 healthcare workers (HCWs) can be sent overseas every year starting early 2021.

Photo by Adam Derewecki from Pixabay