DOH to Deploy Over 24,000 Health Workers in 2027 to Address Shortages

The Department of Health (DOH) plans to deploy 24,381 health professionals nationwide in 2027 as the government works to address continuing shortages of healthcare workers, particularly in underserved areas. Health Secretary Edwin Mercado gave the figure during the Senate Finance Committee’s budget briefing on the DOH’s proposed 2027 budget on Friday. Mercado said the deployment would include doctors, nurses, radiologic technologists, and medical technologists, among other health professionals. “Our budget for next year is 24,381 health professionals ang ide-deploy natin. Various cadres lang po ’yan: nurses, doctors, radtech, medtech.” (Our budget for next year is for the deployment of 24,381 health professionals. These are from various cadres, including nurses, doctors, radiologic technologists and medical technologists.) 'No municipality now without a doctor' Mercado said the government had already addressed the previous gap in basic physician access, saying that there are now no municipalities without a doctor, including geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. “Actually po, wala nang bayang ngayon na walang doktor. So zero na po. Wala na pong ating mga bayan kahit po doon sa mga IDA areas.” (Actually, there is now no municipality without a doctor. So it’s zero. There are no municipalities without doctors, including those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.) Sen. Joel Villanueva had raised the issue of healthcare-worker distribution, recalling that several years ago, the DOH had reported 209 municipalities without a single doctor. Villanueva asked whether the proposed budget would be enough to recruit, deploy, train and retain the healthcare workers needed to address the country’s shortage. 7 years to meet target ratios Mercado said the country still faces a significant shortage of health professionals when compared with the DOH’s target ratios. Based on an estimated population of 116.9 million, Mercado said the desired ratios are 14.3 physicians, 27.4 nurses, and 2.8 midwives per 10,000 population. At the current rate of producing health professionals, he said it could take seven years to meet those ratios, taking into account population growth and attrition among healthcare workers. “Sa current rate nga po ng ating production ng ating health manpower, ay aabutin po tayo ng pitong taon bago po natin ma-meet yung ganitong ratio. Taking into account the population increases din. Taking into account ding yung attrition…” (At our current rate of producing health manpower, it would take us seven years to meet these ratios, taking into account population growth as well as attrition…) DOH eyes task shifting As a short-term measure, Mercado said the DOH is studying task shifting, or allowing lower-level health workers with appropriate training to perform certain tasks currently handled by higher-level professionals. He said the approach could help address manpower gaps while the country waits for more doctors and other specialized health professionals to be trained. Mercado said the DOH is coordinating with professional organizations and other agencies to determine which functions can be assigned to other cadres while maintaining appropriate referral systems. For the longer term, he said the department wants to reduce attrition and provide healthcare workers with clearer career paths. Senators flag shortage of specialists Villanueva also raised the shortage of occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech therapists, saying many Filipino health professionals leave the country for better pay and opportunities. Mercado said producing specialized professionals takes several years, making it difficult to immediately address the shortage. He said the DOH is working on a system where initial screening and intervention can be performed at the primary-care level, with patients referred to specialists when necessary. The department is also looking at practice-based accreditation to expand access to services without requiring every professional to establish a full facility. Villanueva said the government also needs to make these professions more attractive to students by ensuring that graduates have places where they can practice. Mercado said a planned expansion of PhilHealth benefits and higher professional fees could serve as a “market signal” that these professions offer viable career opportunities. Deployment breakdown Villanueva asked the DOH to submit a detailed breakdown of its 2027 deployment plan, including the number of workers to be hired and deployed to rural, underserved, and remote areas. He also asked that the data be broken down by region and, if possible, by province, to allow lawmakers to assess whether healthcare workers are reaching areas with the greatest need. –NB, GMA News