President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ordered concerned agencies to ensure the implementation of the Clinical Care Associates (CCA) Upskilling Program will not compromise the quality of the country’s healthcare services.
The chief executive made the remark during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the implementation of the CCA program in Malacañang last Thursday.
He tasked the Department of Health (DOH) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to “oversee the efficient implementation of this program and ensure that it is done according to global standards.”
Under the program, underboard nursing graduates–those who failed to pass the board exams–will be allowed to work as CCA if they can establish their competencies in certain subjects of the nursing curriculum.
The CCA will be hired by public and private hospitals for one year, which can be renewed twice if they fail to pass the licensure examinations for nursing.
The government will also provide them the opportunity to attend tutorials and classes for review to increase their chances of passing the board exams.
The MOU will help operationalize the Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 2023-0001 signed by CHED and DOH last July. It was signed by DOH, CHED, Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), and Private Hospital Association of the Philippines (PHAPI).
The President said the measure will help the country overcome its “handicap” due to shortage of nurses in its healthcare facilities.
DOH estimated the country’s healthcare sector is suffering from a shortage of 114,743 nurses as of December 2022.
He urged underboard nurses to avail of the CCA program so they can practice their profession.
“I call on you to apply for this program and embrace the support being wholeheartedly given to you by the government and the institutions that we represent,” the chief executive said.
