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The Department of Health (DOH) IX is now preparing to deploy the third Batch of Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service or RN Heals by the month of March.

DOH IX Regional Director, Dr. Aristides Tan said the DOH will hire a total of 511 RN Heals for the third batch. Of the 511, 220 will be hired from Zamboanga del Sur, 205 from Zamboanga del Norte, 72 for Zamboanga Sibugay, eight for Zamboanga City and six for Isabela.

Aside from this, the office will also hire a total of 180 Midwives. Of the 180, 76 will be hired from Zamboanga del Sur, 61 from Zamboanga del Norte, 41 for Zamboanga Sibugay, one for Zamboanga City and one for Isabela.
A panel interview will be conducted by the DOH training staff, City Health Office Representative, and Department of Social Welfare and Development.   After the interview, a two day orientation will follow before deployment. According to Tan, the work of the RN Heals will be in the community for one year, “Man follow up sila el health needs of the barangays and validate the poor for the enrollment to the Philippine Health Insurance.” He is urging the LGU’s to give the RN Heal nurses allowance of P2,000 as counterpart, check on their security and proper accommodation.

The nurses will receive P8,000 stipend per month and if the LGU will add P2,000, the stipend of the nurses will now amount to P10,000.
The areas where these nurses will serve will be determined by the DOH and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). One of the target areas is where most of the beneficiaries of the conditional cash grants or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) are located and where Basic Emergency Maternal Obstetric Neonatal Care centers is located.
The nurses who will become part of the RN Heals will help the DOH in achieving the Millennium Development Goals to lessen maternal and child mortality. 

The first batch of RN Heals were deployed for six months in the government hospitals and six months in the community, the second batch were deployed solely in government hospitals.

By: R.G. Antonet Go