New Zealand is in dire need of nurses and they want to recruit Filipino nurses directly. Taking the initiative to try recruiting Filipino nurses directly is Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB), a government health organization in New Zealand and its largest healthcare provider.

Representatives of CMDHB are currently trying to work out an arrangement with the POEA for the direct recruitment process. If all goes well, representatives of CMDHB plan to visit the Philippines on the third week of September to interview applicants and possibly send them to New Zealand by October.

When the agreement for the direct recruitment procedure are finalized, and proved to be favorable and beneficial for both parties, 21 district health boards of New Zealand’s  government health agency may follow CMDHB’s move and directly recruit nurses as well.

According to the report of GMANews.tv, a Filipino clinical nurse educator at the CMDHB’s cardiology and neurology department, Japhet Vailoces, said that the recruitment consultant of the Auckland District Health Board has expressed keen interest in the program. “

One of the conditions being proposed by CMDHB is to be exempted from paying the USD 450 recruitment fee as stated in POEA’s standard recruitment agreement.

The letter sent by Sabrina Freitas, recruitment consultant of CMDHB to Stella Banawis, head of POEA’s pre-employment service department said,
 “Would it be possible to please waive this cost as we will already be incurring a cost of about NZ$6,000 for each candidate, which covers the course fee, airfare and accommodation?"

The CCC which was established in 2001 is said to be one of the largest healthcare providers and founder of primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare in Australasia, serving the people of South and East Auckland in an area that stretches from Otahuhu to Port Waikato.

 Vailoces further infomed, “Overseas nurses coming from countries where English is the second language cannot work as nurses until they do an eight-week competency work. The candidates initially come to New Zealand on visitor’s visas to do a competency course for eight weeks. There is an exam at the end of it, before then can apply for registration to work as nurses in New Zealand.".

Applicants who will be chosen to undergo the competency course at the Manukau Institute of Technology need not worry so  much of the fees as CMHDB will pay the course fee (NZD 4000, the one way airfare ticket, and accommodation. Applicants who successfully complete the course will be employed as nurses at CMDHB.