49 registered nurses ready to take BPO challenge

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Laoag City—At least 49 registered nurses (RN) in Ilocos Norte are now ready to move to the next level as thousands of jobs await nurses and other health care practitioners in business process outsourcing (BPO) companies.

Nicole Rudio, Provincial Employment and Service Office (PESO) head said the first batch of RN who availed a free training program on Pharmacovigilance and clinical management graduated on September 25, following a 30-day academic interface program held at the Takuat Training Center in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte.

Under the Task Force Trabaho program of the Ilocos Norte provincial government in cooperation with the Tata Consultancy Services, unemployed nurses are given alternative to seek jobs not only in hospitals but also in BPOs.

BPO companies, being the fastest growing industry in the country are employing thousands of nurses in healthcare information management companies. Instead of assisting patients in a hospital, employed nurses in BPO companies seat in front of a computer but he still uses his knowledge of medicine.

A healthcare information management (HIM) company may operate like a call center, but instead of answering phone queries about products, it's the patients who are the clients.

Like Juvelyn dela Cruz, a resident of Brgy. 51-A in Laoag City, she said she is now more confident to seek employment in a BPO company after attending the free training.

Healthcare information management is part of the BPO industry. Now, there are more than 200 HIM outsourcing companies in the Philippines. They offer thousands of jobs such as medical coders and billers, tele-radiologists, patient monitoring staff and pharmacy benefits managers. Entry-level salary ranges from P18,000 to P24,000.

However, applicants should have adequate medical background, such as familiarity with medical terms, as well as knowledge about information technology.

Aside from the US, the HIM industry also aims to target markets in Australia, UK and other Asian countries.