Alfred Vargas, a three-time congressman and now Quezon City councilor, has voiced his support for the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHEd) plan to address the plight of health workers.

“We have world-class healthcare education and training, evidenced by the respect our Filipino health professionals receive globally. Preserving public health is integral to our nation’s progress,” he said.

“We cannot prosper unless we take care of our nurses, doctors, midwives, medtechs, and allied health professionals,” Vargas said to the DAILY TRIBUNE.

As the author of the “Doktor Para sa Bayan” Act, which provides medical scholarships to deserving students, Vargas emphasized the need for a comprehensive government approach to the healthcare worker shortage.

“Covid-19 has exposed many weaknesses in our healthcare system and, unfortunately, it has shown how many sectors have failed our pandemic’s unsung heroes,” he noted. Vargas highlighted that CHEd’s master plan will also address demands for other healthcare professions.

The Department of Health (DoH) previously stated that there is a need for 190,000 healthcare workers to meet current demands.

Vargas praised Health Secretary Ted Herbosa’s commitment to focusing on primary care.

“DoH’s push to improve human resources for primary healthcare is timely. Health promotion, disease prevention, and screening are essential components of the master plan,” he added.