MANILA — The Department of Health disclosed Friday it is pushing for 2 priority legislation that would benefit both private and public health workers.

According to DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, the agency seeks to amend the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers and to standardize the salaries of medical professionals.

"We are seeking the support of our legislators ukol dito sa 2 bill na aming pino-propose," she said in a press briefing.

The Magna Carta of Public Health Workers should now cover both private and public health workers nationwide, Vergeire said.

Enacted 30 years ago, the law aims "to promote and improve the social and economic well-being of the health workers, their living and working conditions and terms of employment."

The salient features of DOH's proposed legislation will include provision of hazard pay, educational assistance for health workers and additional compensation, she said.

Vergeire made the remark when asked about the lack of private nurses, who are seeking employment overseas due to better wages.

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To curb the migration of health workers abroad, the DOH also wants to standardize the salaries of medical professionals in public and private facilities.

"Nagsusulong tayo ngayon ng isang bill 'yung salary standardization for human resources for health, both for the public and private sector, both for the national and local sector para wala ng differentiation kapag naipasa itong batas na'to," she said.

"Whatever a healthcare worker will receive from the public sector, dapat mapantayan na rin 'yan ng private sector."

Nurses in government facilities with salary grade 15 earn around P35,000. For nurses employed in private hospitals, they earn much less, according to a group of health workers.

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