Sask. gov’t says search for health-care workers generating interest in Philippines

The Saskatchewan government says more than 3,500 applications have been received from the Philippines through the Saskatchewan Health Human Resources Action Plan.

The government announced that total Monday, three days after revealing nearly 400 applications had been received from unlicensed, internationally educated Saskatchewan and/or Canadian residents.

Saskatchewan is looking to add 1,000 workers to its health-care system under the plan, which was unveiled in early September.

A media release Monday said the Saskatchewan Health Authority has extended job offers to 11 Continuing Care Assistants from the Philippines. A health-care recruitment mission to the Philippines is being planned for later this fall to discuss available work opportunities in the province.

“This will include signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of the Philippines on the recruitment of Filipino health-care professionals, as well as recruitment and/or hiring events for prospective candidates,” the government’s release said.

The province said a webinar held in September attracted 140 registered nurses from the Philippines.

As well, it noted it has launched an advertising and social media campaigns in the Philippines. The latter included a Facebook post the government said reached more 75,000 people in one day.

“An information and marketing campaign is currently underway and will continue into the following months to promote career opportunities, as well as incentive, retention and financial support programs for health-care workers,” the government said.

“The next phase of the campaign will feature testimonials from health-care workers from home and abroad who have built a successful career in Saskatchewan.”

The applications from internationally educated health-care professionals from Saskatchewan and Canada include around 30 from Ukrainian newcomers to the province, including three from physician candidates.

To retain workers currently in the system, the government has added 150 new training seats — 10 nurse practitioners, 124 registered nurses and 16 registered psychiatric nurses.

As well, residency seats at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine have increased by eight to 128, the government said, while the number of seats for the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment program has risen to 45 seats.

The government is accepting applications for an incentive of up to $50,000 over three years for a return-of-service agreement introduced to attract new employees to targeted positions in rural and remote areas. As many as 115 new health-care workers in the province are expected to benefit from this initiative.

The Ministry of Health also has seen increased interest in the clinical placement bursary program, with 105 clinical bursaries approved this year. The government said that’s the highest number in more than four years.

The ministry also said it has created and posted 125 full-time, frontline health-care positions and turned more than 50 existing, part-time positions into full-time. As well, the SHA plans to hire up to 450 Métis citizens over the next five years who have completed training through the Gabriel Dumont Institute health-care program.

The media release said the success of the government’s recruitment plan has resulted in the resumption of health-care services in communities including La Ronge, Assiniboia and Biggar.

The NDP has criticized the plan, noting its goal of hiring 1,000 health-care workers doesn’t begin to address all of the 1,500 job postings issued by the SHA at the time the plan was announced.