FORT BONIFACIO, Metro Manila – The Philippine Army has recruited 55 new registered nurses to help fight the COVID-19 crisis in the country here today, April 15, 2020.
Newly recruited nurses will be assigned as members of PA medical team, which will be deployed to various COVID-19 medical treatment facilities including Army Wellness Center, Rizal Medical Complex and at the Army General Hospital (AGH) as staff nurses.
The PA has assigned the first batch of 16 nurses at the AGH since last week. On the other hand, the second batch of 39 nurses, who took oath today, started their 3-day training on COVID-19 Response for Nurses as well as orientation on the military organization.
Specifically, the PA provides the new recruits lectures and workshops on PA Health Service, Anatomy and Physiology, Intro to COVID 19 Disease, Basic Infection Control (use of PPE, donning and doffing of PPE, hand hygiene, waste disposals, control of traffic and movement in the clinical area), Basic Nursing Procedures (administration of injections, care of patients with mechanical ventilators, and nursing documentations).
On the military side, they were given orientation on the specific military duties and responsibilities, military courtesy, etiquette and military discipline.
Since the recruitment follows a special call for enlistment, they will still undergo the basic military training and will be part of the regular force deployed in the different Military Treatment Facilities (Station Hospitals and/or Medical Dispensaries) after the pandemic. Further, fully qualified individuals, are priorities for application for commissionship either in the Nurse Corps or Regular Officer Corps. They will be enlisted for an initial one term or three years.
“This national health emergency calls us for an immediate response to help those who are in need. The Army is grateful for our frontliners who took the challenge and risks their lives in the service of the Filipino people,” said Army Spokesperson Col. Ramon P. Zagala.#