UK nurses celebrate easing of restrictions

NHS workers react at the Aintree University Hospital during the last day of the Clap for our Carers campaign on Thursday in support of the NHS, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Liverpool, Britain. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an easing of restrictions as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to decrease after the United Kingdom had the most number of cases in Europe.

-reuters-

Doctors, nurses attacked in panic-stricken India

They have been hailed as India's coronavirus "heroes", but doctors, nurses, delivery drivers and other frontline workers have been attacked and in some cases evicted from their homes by panicked residents.

Some e-commerce giants have even halted deliveries partly due to the harassment of staff, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi said abuse of hospital workers had become a "huge issue".

Reports of attacks and abuse have come from across India, increasing with the imposition this week of a 21-day nationwide lockdown. In at least one case, police were accused of beating a delivery driver carrying medicines.

Sanjibani Panigrahi, a doctor in the western city of Surat, described how she was accosted as she returned home from a long day at a hospital that is treating COVID-19 patients.

She said neighbors blocked her at the entrance to her apartment building and threatened "consequences" if she continued to work.

"These are the same people who have happily interacted with me (in the past). Whenever they've faced a problem, I've helped them out," the 36-year-old told AFP.

"There is a sense of fear among people. I do understand. But it's like I suddenly became an untouchable."

This week, doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences appealed to the government for help after health workers were forced out of their homes by panicked landlords and housing societies.

"Many doctors are stranded on the roads with all their luggage, nowhere to go, across the country," the letter said.

Modi called on Indians to stop treating medical workers as pariahs, describing those fighting the virus were "god-like".

"Today they are the people who are saving us from dying, putting their lives in danger."

Fake news and paranoia

Health workers are not the only ones facing the brunt of the frightened population in an environment where misinformation and rumours are thriving.

Airline and airport staff, who are still being called on for evacuations of Indians stuck overseas and management of key cargo deliveries, have also been threatened.

Indigo and Air India have condemned threats made against their staff.

An Air India flight attendant told AFP her neighbors threatened to evict her from her apartment while she was heading to the United States, saying she would "infect everyone".

"I couldn't sleep that night," she said, afraid to reveal her name over fear of further stigmatisation.

"I was scared that even if I did go home, would someone break open the door or call people to kick me out?"

Her husband had to ask the police for help.

Others have not been as lucky, the flight attendant said, with one colleague -- who declined to speak to AFP -- forced out of her home and now living with her parents.

"With all the fake news and WhatsApp forwards, they don't know what is going on, so there's this paranoia that makes them behave like this," she said.

T. Praveen Keerthi, general secretary of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (IPCA), told AFP they had received more than 50 complaints from airline crew.

"Airline staffers are being stopped from entering their own residential premises by security guards," he said.

"We also have families and children that we leave at home to help fellow citizens... The least we expect is for our colleagues to not be harassed and ostracised."

Airport workers involved in moving essential supplies have also faced attacks as have delivery workers transporting medicines and groceries.

E-commerce giant Flipkart temporarily suspended services this week.

The Walmart-owned group said it only resumed home deliveries after police guaranteed "the safe and smooth passage of our supply chain and delivery executives".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hong Kong medics join protests against perceived police brutality

HONG KONG - Hundreds of Hong Kong medical workers and other anti-government protesters rallied in the Chinese-ruled city's financial center on Saturday, angry at perceived police brutality during more than four months of sometimes violent unrest.

Pro-democracy activists have attacked police with petrol bombs and rocks and shone lasers in their eyes. One officer was slashed in the neck with a knife.

Police have responded with tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets and occasional live rounds, wounding several protesters, many of whom received treatment from volunteer first aiders at the roadside.

A 26-year-old nurse, who gave his name only as Stephen, said police would often come into the hospital where he works on the Kowloon peninsula and stand outside the wards or search for protesters in the accident and emergency department.

"Sometimes they bring their guns and weapons. The patients may be scared. This is not good practice," he said. "The protesters have injuries. This searching must be done after they are healed."

He said he worked as a first aider at protest sites in his spare time.

"I didn't tell any of my supervisors - only some colleagues with the same values," he said. "...But when I see people injured, I have to provide first aid."

Police deny accusations of brutality, saying they have shown utmost restraint in life-threatening situations and issue warnings to protesters with color-coded signs before they respond with tear gas or baton charges.

Protesters are angry about what they see as creeping Chinese interference in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula intended to guarantee freedoms that are not enjoyed on the mainland.

China denies meddling. It has accused foreign governments, including the United States and Britain, of inciting the unrest.

The demonstrators gathered peacefully on Saturday, occasionally chanting "Hong Kong people, resist."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Short on staff: Nursing crisis strains U.S. hospitals

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia - A shortage of nurses at U.S. hospitals hit West Virginia’s Charleston Area Medical Center at the worst possible time.

The non-profit healthcare system is one of the state’s largest employers and sits in the heart of economically depressed coal country. It faces a $40 million deficit this year as it struggles with fewer privately insured patients, cuts in government reimbursement and higher labor costs to attract a shrinking pool of nurses.

To keep its operations intact, Charleston Medical is spending this year $12 million on visiting or “travel” nurses, twice as much as three years ago. It had no need for travel nurses a decade ago.

“I’ve been a nurse 40 years, and the shortage is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Ron Moore, who retired in October from his position as vice president and chief nursing officer for the center. Charleston Area Medical’s incentives include tuition reimbursement for nursing students who commit to work at the hospital for two years.

“It’s better to pay a traveler than to shut a bed,” he said.

Hospitals nationwide face tough choices when it comes to filling nursing jobs. They are paying billions of dollars collectively to recruit and retain nurses rather than risk patient safety or closing down departments, according to Reuters interviews with more than 20 hospitals, including some of the largest U.S. chains.

In addition to higher salaries, retention and signing bonuses, they now offer perks such as student loan repayment, free housing and career mentoring, and rely more on foreign or temporary nurses to fill the gaps.

The cost nationwide for travel nurses alone nearly doubled over three years to $4.8 billion in 2017, according to Staffing Industry Analysts, a global advisor on workforce issues.

The burden falls disproportionately on hospitals serving rural communities, many of them already straining under heavy debt like the Charleston Area Medical Center.

These hospitals must offer more money and benefits to compete with facilities in larger metropolitan areas, many of them linked to well-funded universities, interviews with hospital officials and health experts show.

Along West Virginia’s border with Pennsylvania, university-affiliated J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown is spending $10.4 million in 2017 compared with $3.6 million a year earlier to hire and retain nurses.

But these costs are part of the facility’s expansion this year, including adding more than 100 beds as it grows programs and takes over healthcare services from smaller rural providers that have scaled back or closed.

J.W. Ruby, the flagship hospital for WVU Medicine, offers higher pay for certain shifts, tuition reimbursement, $10,000 signing bonuses and free housing for staff who live at least 60 miles away.

Next year, the hospital is considering paying college tuition for the family members of long-time nurses to keep them in West Virginia.

“We’ll do whatever we need to do,” said Doug Mitchell, vice president and chief nursing officer of WVU Medicine-WVU Hospitals.

NOT LIKE OTHER SHORTAGES

A major driver is the aging of the baby boomer generation, with a greater number of patients seeking care, including many more complex cases, and a new wave of retirements among trained nurses.

Industry experts, from hospital associations to Wall Street analysts, say the crisis is harder to address than in the past. A faculty shortage and too few nursing school slots has contributed to the problem.

Hospitals seek to meet a goal calling for 80 percent of nursing staff to have a four-year degree by 2020, up from 50 percent in 2010. They also face more competition with clinics and insurance companies that may offer more flexible hours.

Healthcare experts warn that the shortfall presents risks to patients and providers. Research published in August in the International Journal of Nursing Studies found that having inadequate numbers of registered nurses on staff made it more likely that a patient would die after common surgeries.

UAB Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, has invested millions to attract nurses, but still has 300 jobs to fill. At times, nursing vacancy rates in some of its departments has hit 20 percent or higher.

“We’ve rarely canceled a surgery or closed a bed because of lack of staffing,” said Terri Poe, chief of nursing at the hospital, the state’s largest, which serves many low income and uninsured residents.

Last year, the medical center covered nearly $200 million in unreimbursed medical costs for patients. It spent $4.5 million for visiting nurses during fiscal 2016, including $3 million for post-surgery services, compared with $858,000 in 2012.

Healthcare labor costs typically account for at least half of a facility’s expenses. They jumped by 7.6 percent nationally last year, after climbing at a rate closer to 5 percent annually in recent years, said Beth Wexler, vice president non-profit healthcare at Moody‘s. The spending has proven a boon for medical staffing companies like AMN Healthcare and Aya Healthcare.

Missouri’s nursing shortage reached a record high in 2017, with almost 16 percent - or 5,700 - of positions vacant, up from 8 percent last year. Thirty-four percent of Missouri registered nurses are 55 or older.

“Our biggest challenge is getting the pipeline of experienced nurses,” said Peter Callan, director of talent acquisition and development at the University of Missouri Health Care in Columbia, which is expanding. “There are fewer and fewer as people retire.”

Last year, the academic medical center hired talent scouts to identify candidates, Callan said. It spends $750,000 a year on extras to attract and keep nurses, including annual $2,000 bonuses to registered nurses who remain in hard-to-fill units and up to five years of student loan repayment assistance. It offers employee referral bonuses and a chance to win a trip to Hawaii.

Smaller hospitals find it much harder to compete in this climate. More than 40 percent of rural hospitals had negative operating margins in 2015, according to The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

In rural Missouri, 25-bed Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital had to offer signing bonuses, tuition reimbursement and pay differentials when staffing is “critically low” in units such as obstetrics.

They haven’t closed beds, but have hired less experienced nurses, raised salaries and turned away at least one patient who would have been in its long term care program.

“We’ve had to try whatever it takes to get nurses here,” said Rita Brumfield, head of nursing at the hospital. “It’s a struggle every day to get qualified staff.”

To see the entire graphic on the U.S. nursing shortage, click tmsnrt.rs/2xQ9Y0K

source: news.abs-cbn.com

8 West Visayas State U grads top nurse licensure exam

ILOILO CITY - Cheers, applause, and laughter were heard at the lobby of the College of Nursing at West Visayas State University Monday morning after eight of its graduates were included in the top 10 of the June 2017 Nursing Licensure Exam.

One hundred and twenty-five of the 126 examinees from the university also passed.

The university had the second highest passing percentage with 99.21 passing rate.

Mary Angelie Cabañez, 21 years old, topped the board exam with a rating of 86.2%.

She considered this achievement as a gift because since she almost missed the exam due to thyroidectomy.

The operation turned out to a blessing in disguise as three sets of the exam were focused on thyroids.

Cabañez wants to work in the Philippines. However, she will not think twice if there is an opportunity for her to pursue her career abroad.

Unlike Cabañez, 7th placer Julie May Suganob did not expect she would be among those who will top the exam.

She said her patients inspired her to pass the examination.

It was in 1993 when a WVSU graduate last topped the nursing board exam.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

San Francisco nurses protests closing of elder care program

In a rally held by the California Nurses Association (CNA), registered nurses said they could not stand by and watch their patients in the Home Health Care Program at UCSF Medical Center no longer receive vital health care.

This, as the program is slated to end on September 30, after 16 years of service.

“It’s heartbreaking, it’s outrageous. We’re angry and sad that our institution where we pour our heart and soul into taking care of our patients and our community would consider cutting what is a vital service,” said Erin Carrera, RN of the California Nurses Association.

According to CNA, 56 positions will be lost when the program ends in September, however, it does not compare to the thousands of patients who will lose out on services.

In a statement from UCSF, the program faced difficulty in financial stability, citing how reimbursement from insurers could not keep up with costs of the program. UCSF also cited how they decided to shift financial resources toward education since they are an academic medical center.

The nurses say that UCSF can easily support the program because its revenues have gone up in the past five years.

“Health care should be a right, not a privilege and we should be putting patients…patient care before profits, simple as that,” said Carrera.

San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim stood with the nurses calling for the need for more health care for the medically under-served.

“This program keeps costs down and also provides equal sharing between our private sector and our public sector to serve our entire community,” said Kim.

According to UCSF health, current patients will be assisted in finding appropriate providers for their home care needs and that the program employees will also be assisted in finding positions within or outside UCSF.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kuwait hiring Filipino nurses, dental staff

MANILA – A dental clinic in Kuwait is hiring 250 Filipino nurses and 50 staffers and will screen applicants in Manila and Davao City next week.

Maidan Clinic will offer the nurses a monthly salary of P42,600. A minimum two and half years of hospital experience is required and applicants must be between 23 to 40 years old.

The clinic will hire 20 dental hygienists, 10 male and 10 female; 20 dental technicians, 10 male and 10 female; and 10 female cleaners. The hygienists will get a monthly salary of P46,500, technicians will get P42,600 while cleaners will get P18,600.

The company will provide food allowance as well as free accommodation and transportation.

“They are hard workers, no complaints, commitment to work plus they have a high standard for educ which makes us focus on Filipino nurses and hygienists as well,” Maidan Clinic CEO Anis Chebaro said of his Filipino staff.

Screenings will be held at the ADM International Manpower Services in Pasig from July 31 to August 2 and at the Pinnacle Hotel and Suites in Davao City on August 3 to 4.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Fil-Am nurses walk off jobs in search for better working conditions

GREENBRAE, Calif. – The nurses of Marin General Hospital, a medical center north of San Francisco, are asking for the basic demands of safety and better working conditions.

After 11 months of negotiations, some 520 registered nurses walked off the job.

They claim management refuses to address patient care and safety issues despite the reported $49 million in profits the hospital has made over the last three years.

Virginia Currie, a registered nurse at MGH for 21 years, said, “We wanted to let management know that that we have a voice. We have a message to them that we are standing united because we are tired of the abuses.”

The nurses are demanding for an additional nurse per department, to assist in providing break relief.

And due to the significant risk of injuries, the nurses are requesting sufficient lift equipment or a 24-hour access to lift teams.

Carlo Medina, who works in cardiac specialty unit, said, “A nurse will try and lift a patient by themselves or push a patient and there’s a lot of force that one nurse cannot do. But they do it because we are healers. We really try to do our best under the circumstances we have.”

In an email to Balitang America, Jamie Maites, Director of Communications for MGH, called the nurse’s strike “irresponsible and unjustified”.

Maites goes on to state that the hospital has not introduced any changes to the proposed collective bargaining agreement in many other contracts across northern California.

In response to the claims of unsafe staffing, Maites says serious employee injuries and associated claims has been reduced since 2010 and that the hospital maintains a patient safety record that is above the national average.

The hospital temporarily hired about 200 replacement nurses to fill in for the strikers.

Following the strike, both sides have said they look forward to returning to the negotiating table.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pinoy nurses join rally against Kaiser

OAKLAND, California – Filipinos joined about 300 nurses and union representatives who gathered in front of the California Nurses Association building last week to accuse their employer Kaiser Permanente of dismissing the importance of patient care.

They said this is alarming because Kaiser is the largest health insurer and hospital system in California.

"We were supposed to have bargaining but our employer failed to show up so we went to them instead. So we rallied over at their office and let them know that we were there and what are purpose was to be there," Mike Beshears, a 21-year nurse at Kaiser L.A.M.C.

The nurses say that despite the $1.1 billion increase in Kaiser profits for the first quarter of 2014, the company still allows chronic understaffing and continues to cut patient services.

Those cuts include hospital admission restrictions, holding patients in “observation” for over 72 hours, and prematurely sending patients from Kaiser Hospitals to others settings that include homes where the burden of providing care falls on the families.

Even nurses from southern California made the trip up north to join the efforts in protecting their patients.

“We came up here to support our nurses up north because we are all one company and we are all here for the care of our patients,” said Beshears. “We want everyone to know we are united on this. We want our patients to get the care they deserve and that they paid for.”

“We as nurses are the voice of our patients,” said Tessie Costales, a 28-year nurse of Kaiser L.A.M.C. “So being their voice, we want better care for them and Kaiser is starting to cut back on all the services. So as a nurse we are the voice of our patient and we want to be heard.”

Many Pinoy nurses here say they take their profession seriously and it means being the best nurses they can be.

“A lot of the nurses were sent here by their parents and have sacrifice so much to sell everything they have to send their children to school to be nurses to be here to better their lives,” said Marilu Ramirez, a nurse on the 2014 bargaining team.

Balitang America has reached out to Kaiser to respond to these allegations.

In an email, Kaiser says the reason why they didn’t meet with the nurses is because they did not agree on a neutral location.

Kaiser also says it is ready to come to the bargaining table with the nurses and it is confident that both parties will have a meaningful dialogue.

But for now these protesters have a clear message for Kaiser.

“I want you to obey what the nurses are saying,” said Ramirez. “We are for our patients and that is the best, best way we can do this. If you follow what’s in your heart, not the pocket, but what’s in your heart it’s always patients first.”

 Read more from Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pinoy nurse murdered in Texas

PEARLAND, Texas - Authorities are now one step closer to finding out the motive for the suspected murder of Filipino nurse Juanario "John" Rosas, after issuing an arrest warrant for 23-year-old Damien Lucas Salinas.

Rosas was found dead inside his bedroom after concerned co-workers reported to police that he missed his scheduled shift last Sunday.

Friends of Rosas said he was killed in a violent attack. Authorities suspect that the killer could be someone he knew, and the crime may not have been random.

Friends and family said Rosas was cheerful and friendly with no known enemies. They are now seeking justice.

"I would like to congratulate the authorities as one of the suspects is now in police custody. However, it is sad to note that one Filipino nurse's American dream was abbreviated by a senseless death," said Zachary Beltran.

In the meantime, 22-year-old Courtney King believed to be the suspect’s girlfriend, was arrested and charged with felony for tampering with evidence and arson.

Reports claim King allegedly tried to eliminate the evidence by attempting to burn Rosas' home. Authorities said the suspects had fled the scene and the fire was contained when police came.

Pearland police warned that Salinas is possibly armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on Salinas’ whereabouts is asked to contact the Pearland Police Department at 291-997-4100 or Brazoria County Crime Stoppers at 979-864-2279.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Filipino nurses to be deployed to Germany

MANILA – Filipino nurses may soon be deployed to Germany once the agreement between the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and its counterpart, the Federal Employment Agency, International Placement Services (ZAV) is signed in Manila.

“Under the agreement, Filipino workers may not be employed under working conditions less favorable than those comparable for German workers,” said Philippine Ambassador to Germany Maria Cleofe Natividad in a statement.

The deployment of Filipino nurses is expected to address the current shortages experienced by German hospitals.

Natividad met with Monika Varnhagen, Director of ZAV, and Annette Tigges-Thies, head of Division for Labor Migration and Work Permits at ZAV last week in Bonn. She said ZAV will ensure that Filipino nurses will have adequate linguistic and professional preparation, free of charge, prior to entry to Germany.

The ambassador also informed ZAV officials of the readiness of the Philippines to sign the agreement, particularly the POEA which will be responsible for the implementation.

“It is all systems go for the Triple Win Project. When the agreement is signed, then we have a cooperation framework that enables Filipino nurses to work in Germany,” she said.

The agreement, she added, protects Filipino workers’ rights.

The deployment of nurses is part of enhanced labor cooperation discussed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle during the latter’s official visit to Manila in February this year. The two ministers called for cooperation across the board between the Philippines and Germany as the two countries celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

US-based Pinoy nurses angered by Cynthia Villar's statement

Over the weekend, social media was abuzz over a statement perceived to be an attack on Filipino nurses. The statement was made by a former lawmaker who is vying for a seat at the Philippine Senate.

In an electoral forum on Philippine TV, former Las Pinas City representative, now Philippine Senatorial candidate Cynthia Villar answered a question about why she sided with the owners of shut-down nursing schools and not with the nursing student.

"Actually hindi naman kailangan ng nurse ay matapos ng BSN or Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Kasi itong ating mga nurses, gusto lang nilang maging room nurse, sa America or other countries, parang mag-aalaga. Hindi naman sila kailangan maging ganoon kagaling," Villar said.

Filipino nurses took to social media to show their anger on the candidate's statement, including the Filipina nurse recently honored by President Obama during his State the Union address.

"Ang taas na ng pagtingin ng mundo sa atin, naitaas na natin eh, tapos binababa naman niya. Talagang na hurt talaga ang mga nurses, ang sabi ko nga everybody has their own mind, masasabi niya kahit anong gusto niyang sabihin pero tayo meron tayo may magagawa tayo, ang dapat nating gawin, yung mga ganung tao hindi natin nilalagay sa pwesto," said Menchu Sanchez, who was honored by Obama for saving critically ill babies in neo-natal ICU at the height of superstorm Sandy.

Other Filipino nurses in Jersey City said they came to America not to become what Villar calls a "room nurse" but to be professional nurses who can move up the ladder of success

"Yes, nagpupunas kami ng mga pwet ng mga pasyente, naglilinis kami ng mga sugat at lahat ng ganyan pero ang masasabi ko lang sana hindi siya magkasakit ng sobra sobra, dahil alam ko dadaan siya sa mga kamay ng nurses. Sana lang marealize niya na yung sinabi niya mali, kasi it takes so much to be a nurse, it was too degrading, it was too insulting," said Dez Choi, a Filipino nurse in New Jersey.

"Nowadays marami nang roles na ina-assume ang mga nurses especially Filipino nurses. I think we have broken through - na mainstream na tayo, like me personally I'm taking my MSN ngayon, my masters. I've been here almost 6 years so hindi totoo na puro lang kami bedside kasi merong nasa management na," said nurse Maridel Maulawin from Chicago.

Villar earlier has apologized to the Philippine Nurses Association for her remarks, saying she had no intention to belittle anyone--especially the nursing profession.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Pinoy nurses in London hit by NHS budget cuts

LONDON -  For the past weeks, locals and hospital staff across London have been protesting against the austerity measures of the National Health Service (NHS).

NHS cuts include closing selected A&E wards and acute services, downgrading of hospitals, redundancies and downgrading of salaries. In 2011, more than 30,000 NHS workers lost their jobs.

"We're fighting this because we believe that there is money to be found to invest in local health service, so we don't have to suffer from these life threatening cuts," Carlo Nero, chair of Save Our Hospital Campaign, said.

Because of the cuts, some Pinoy nurses are facing salary downgrade while others are forced to re-apply for their posts.

"Sa unit namin kung sampu kaming band 6, dalawa lang ang kukunin or you will go through interview para ma -retain ninyo ang current position ninyo," said Bien del Mundo, an NHS nurse.

"Kung mada-down grade ako, ang suweldo ko liliit. Maapektuhan ang family ko back home sa Pilipinas kasi ang ipapadala  namin liliit," said another NHS nurse Lester Najera.

It may seem that the salary downgrade is better than redundancies but they feel the cuts came at the worst possible time.

"So siyempre napakalaking impact yun financially para sa pamilya mo. Paano yun ilang taon ka  sa current position mo tapos  bababa pa ang suweldo mo.  Di na rin kami makaka -cope up sa daily needs namin," del Mundo said.

This year, the NHS is hit with the longest budget freeze penned in to last until 2015, which means frozen salaries for Pinoy nurses in the coming years.

"Di na nga tumaas ang suweldo mo, ang mga presyo ng bilihin is not going any lower, pataas ng pataas- everything, housing and all. Halos wala ng matira sa iyo," NHS nurse Donna Prima-Negrito said.

"Nakakabigla rin para sa min kasi sa hirap ng buhay ngayon," Edwin Rebenque, medical worker at NHS, said.

The flatlining UK economy is taking a toll on Pinoy nurses. But they want to remain optimistic and hope for growth and recovery of the economy. They believe any further drastic austerity measures in the health services will send them and the NHS in the emergency unit.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

4 Tagalog-speaking Filipino nurses settle discrimination case with Baltimore hospital

LOS ANGELES - Four Filipino employees who accused a Baltimore hospital of discriminating against them for speaking Tagalog at the workplace have settled their case for an undisclosed amount.

The Bon Secours Hospital “has agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to end the workers’ discrimination complaint," television reports here said.

“We’re almost done with it. We’ve signed the papers and it’s just a matter of paying us,” said Anna Rowena Rosales.

Rosales, two other nurses, and a hospital administrator were fired for allegedly speaking Tagalog during lunch breaks in 2010, according to the report.

Reports said the Federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) ruled last year that the Hospital’s English-only regulations discriminated against the four Filipino employees.

Rosales, Corina Capunitan-Yap, Hachelle Natano, and Jazziel Granada immediately filed a complaint, accusing the hospital’s management of singling them out. They said there were other employees of different nationalities who would commonly speak a different language but were not disciplined, the report said.

“Other employees spoke Spanish and other languages, contrary to the policies and were not disciplined,” said EEOC Baltimore field office Director Gerald Kiel in his report against the hospital last August 16. “In addition, it appears more serious infractions of work rules were not comparably punished.”

Kiel said the hospital subjected the Filipinos to unequal terms and conditions of employment, a hostile work environment, disciplinary action and discharge because of their national origins in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

He also urged the hospital to settle the matter with the Filipinos internally.

source: interaksyon.com

Filipino nurses tapped by leading hospital in Bangladesh

MANILA, Philippines - A leading hospital in Bangladesh will be hiring Filipino nurses to work at their facility in the country’s capital, Dhaka, the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka reported.

Brig. Gen.(Retd) Shahidul Islam and Dr. Salahuddin Ahmed, Director of Operation and Administration, and Chief Coordinator for Development, respectively, of the United Hospital, informed Philippine Ambassador to Bangladesh Bahnarim A. Guinomla, at a courtesy call at the Embassy, that the recruitment of Filipino medical workers is in progress, especially the documentation requirements.

Dr. Ahmed visited the Philippines recently to start interviewing applicants in Manila.

Ambassador Guinomla described the move of the hospital as a ground-breaking development, as most Filipino nurses work in more developed markets; and that Bangladesh itself sends workers overseas.

The ambassador thanked both Brig. Gen. Islam and Dr. Ahmed for their confidence in the widely-proven skills and reliability of Filipino medical workers.

The hospital plans to assign the successful applicants to the so-called critical areas including emergencies and intensive care cases or the so-called Basic Life Support (BLS) work.

In a letter to Guinomla, Managing Director Faridur Rahman Khan described United Hospital as a multi-disciplinary hospital providing services to both local and foreign patients, especially those from the diplomatic area in Dhaka, since its inception in August 2006.

source: interaksyon.com

A fallback for unemployed nurses

MANILA, Philippines — To ease the unemployment woes of nursing graduates, a Quezon City councilor has filed a resolution that will include entrepreneurial subjects in the nursing curriculum.

Fourth District Councilor Jessica Castelo Daza said her proposal was meant to provide a fallback for nurses in case they land jobs outside of their nursing courses.

Under Resolution 5381, the Quezon City government will have to address the ballooning problem of unemployment of new nursing graduates by urging the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to add entrepreneurial subjects in the course to help nursing graduates to venture into other fields in case of the unavailability of nursing jobs.

The never-ending story of what the nursing profession can offer to those who wanted to be successful in life is one of the reasons why the country produces an oversupply of nursing graduates who end up unemployed.

According to Daza, the majority of the nursing graduates fail to find employment in their preferred profession and finding the opportunity to have jobs related to their chosen career has become part of their efforts to survive after graduation.

It is a common knowledge, according to Daza, that nursing job opportunities in the country are scarce, hence, most of nursing graduates opted to work abroad as caregivers, dental assistants, nursing aides, or become part of the unemployment statistics.

Daza wants the city’s nursing graduates to be successful entrepreneurs but they will have to prepare for it while in the nursing schools.

There are more than 450 nursing schools in the country that produce hundreds of thousands of nursing graduates annually.

Most of the nursing graduates, even those who passed the board examinations, have remained unemployed due to the decreasing demand for the profession.

source: mb.com.ph

Pinay nurses in Austria lauded for contribution to healthcare

Austrian Federal Minister for Labor, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection Rudolf Hundstorfer praised Filipino nurses in Austria for their “very important contribution” to their host country’s healthcare system.

In his remarks during the 10th anniversary of the Philippine Nurses Association Austria on December 3, Hundstorfer "thanked the Filipino nurses in Austria for their very important contribution to the country’s healthcare system," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

Hundstorfer noted that a good healthcare system was "one of the criteria in the 2011 Quality of Living survey set by the global consulting firm Mercer in choosing Vienna as the best place to live in the world for three consecutive years,” the DFA said.

Hundstorfer and Philippine Ambassador Lourdes Yparraguirre were the special guests at the event.

Yparraguirre lauded the nurses for their “hard work, high skills and dedication” that helped open the gates for other nurses from the Philippines to go to Austria.

“Under a bilateral agreement, Filipino nurses came to Austria, first in trickle, then in groups. In virtually every corner of this country, there is nothing but praise for Filipino nurses. And many Austrians who have never heard of the Philippines learn about us through the most positive examples - you! Our nurses overseas are truly some of the best ambassadors of the Filipino people,” she said.

She likewise highlighted the recognition awarded by the City of Vienna to Filipino and Filipino-Austrian nurses and caregivers for their long years of dedicated services to the health sector of Austria.

The DFA said there are about 30,000 Filipino-Austrians in Austria. - VVP, GMA News

source:gmanetwork.com