The Zamboanga Peninsula Region is all set to implement preliminary activities for the full take off of the Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service (RNheals) Project in response to the country's constitutional mandate to make essential health goods and social services available to all Filipinos, especially in the poor communities. Along this line, the RNheals Project is a support program for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in collaboration and partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) as the Lead Agency, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Professional Regulation Commission-Board of Nursing (PRC-BON), Philippine Nurses Association (PNA), counterpart regional/provincial offices, and the Local Government Units (LGUs).
RN heals intends to address the surplus in inexperienced nurses, promote health of the people and bring the government closer to the people. This project will deploy nurses in rural and underserved communities for a period of one year in consistent with the DSWD's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) which is being implemented, as well as DOH's Basic Emergency Maternal Obstetric and Neonatal Care (BEMONC) facilities which are being upgraded/strengthened.
A total of Ten Thousand (10,000) Registered Nurses will be deployed in 1221 identified municipalities nationwide and 2.3 million households will benefit from the delivery of health services. For Zamboanga Peninsula region, 511 nurses will be deployed in 61 municipalities as identified by DSWD under the CCT areas.
While on training, nurses will be given an allowance of P8,000.00 per month and the host LGU is encouraged to provide P2,000.00 as a counterpart for their additional allowances and benefits, as they will also be provided with PhilHealth and GSIS group insurance during the entire project duration. A certificate of competency and employment will be given to them who have satisfactorily completed their engagement with the project.
The recruitment process commenced last January 17, 2011 until February 4, 2011, and the 1st round screening and selection process was conducted separately last January 26 in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay; January 27 in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur; January 28 in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte; and last January 31 in Zamboanga City including the Triple S Municipalities in Zamboanga del Norte and Isabela City. The 2nd and last round is scheduled on February 5, 2011.
Prior to the deployment of 511 nurses scheduled on February 14, 2011, an orientation will be simultaneously conducted on February 11-12, 2011 in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibgay, and in the Cities of Dipolog and Pagadian. The venue will be announced later. Notably, the rotation of assignment from hospital to rural health unit and vice versa will be on a 6-month period with the following schedules: 1st Rotation from February 14 to August 13, 2011 and 2nd Rotation from August 14, 2011 to February 13, 2012.
