SHA recruits 22 new health-care workers during Philippines trip

Job offers have been accepted by nearly two dozen health-care workers so far in the Philippines, according to Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Andrew Will.

In an effort to address Saskatchewan’s shortage of health-care workers, a delegation including Health Minister Paul Merriman travelled to the Philippines in late November to hold health-care workshops and information sessions in Manila.

Will made the announcement during the SHA’s board meeting Wednesday.

SHA CEO Andew Will (centre) on Oct. 20, 2022. (Libby Giesbrecht/650 CKOM)

“We have targeted 20 special care aid positions to be recruited from the Philippines, as well as two medical lab assistant positions,” Will said.

“(We’re) really pleased to say we have provided offers for all 22 positions. Those offers have been accepted, and we’re in the process of working through the immigration processes to bring those new team members to Saskatchewan.”

Will also said the SHA is working to bring 70 nurses to the province.

“Our team, while they’re in the Philippines, will be interviewing other nurses, assessing their credentials, and making conditional offers to bring them to Saskatchewan,” he added.

In addition, the SHA has approval for 100 full-time rural nursing positions, along with approval to increase 150 part-time positions to full-time.

“Seventy-one of those full-time positions have now been staffed,” he told the board, though he didn’t say which communities will be getting more nurses.

Will said there were 1,600 registrations for the information sessions hosted by the provincial delegation in the Philippines.