Philippine envoy to discuss nurses case

ABU DHABI - Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, Libran N. Cabactulan, is in the process of ascertaining the facts behind the termination of 60 Filipino nurses at Al Mafraq Hospital, and may seek moratorium in the deployment of Filipino nurses to the UAE unless the issue is resolved.

By Lily B. Libo-on

Published: Fri 22 Aug 2008, 1:31 AM

Last updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 5:08 PM

The Ambassador issued this statement following a dialogue with 17 of the 100 Filipino nurses whose employment contracts were not renewed. He met the nurses at the Philippine Embassy at around noon time yesterday.

Cabactulan expressed alarm over the matter, and said it was very unusual considering that the all nursing institutions in the Philippines are very well known worldwide, and that the Philippines has been continuously deploying nurses to the UAE, the UK and other European countries.

"This is the first time when Filipino nurses are said to have failed to qualify in the clinical assessment test. Indeed, this is very surprising," he stressed.

The Ambassador said he was planning to take up the matter with the UAE's Ministry of Health, and would discuss the possibility of allowing these clinical assessment tests to be reviewed and assessed by the internationally-accredited nursing institutions in the Philippines.

The Filipino nurses who are said to have failed the tests, have passed the internationally renowned Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) test, which is the requirement set by hospitals in the US, Canada and Europe, for foreigners to be able to work in these countries.

Most of these nurses have been working in Al Mafraq Hospital for 10-25 years.

At their meeting with the Ambassador, the Filipino nurses told him that they strongly felt they had passed the clinical assessment, which included two written examinations and one demonstration.

The nurses also alleged they were asked to take the written test without writing their names, and the administrative department refused to either give or let them see the results of their written examination when they asked for it.

lily@khaleejtimes.com