Doctors are leaving the country - are they abandoning those who need them the most?

[midinite]

OT: Baka naman kaya hindi hardworking sa Pinas kasi walang work ... puro hard lang

I don't see pinoys that way - simply because I didn't know most back home. I wonder what made you generalize overseas pinoys as such?

Cheers.

No worries. It seemed to be the sentiment of people and I was merely expressing it. Strangely enough I had heard Aussies working with Filipinos outside and say they work better outside Pinas than inside. Am just relaying what others have said.

And strangely the generalisation of Pinoys outside is that Pinoys are highly political in the workplace. That is according to some foreigners. mga CEO ng banks and such kaya nakaka dismaya

[ruel23]

Mate, this is what I don't understand. Ba't hardworking ang pinoy pag nasa labas ng bansa? Pag nasa Pinas iba ang kwento...from my experience outside...Have a good weekend.

Hey you doin mate,

[_Qwerty_]

dito sa tsikot.. how many are overseas?? ilang percent ang nandito sa pinas??

simple lang yan.. eh mas malaki pa sweldo nang call center agent kesa sa doctor dito sa atin.. so anong gagawin nang doctor??

[theveed]

But the sad fact, our government are having some misplaced priorities..

So true...

[Trajano]

OT:

Late this afternoon, I was tasked by the Humanitarian arm of our company to make a proposal if our Mobile Clinic project is really worth pushing through. The project aims to provide at least 2 Mobile Clinics in each Philippine province (150 total) complete with Medical and Dental equipments to cater to the less fortunates for free. 2 doctors and a dentist with 3 nurses were proposed to man each clinic. Based on the budget allocations, doctors and dentists will be given $500 and $400 allowance/month, respectively. Do you think we could get enough doctors (300) for this project who will accept not just the task of serving the less fortunate but also the allowance alloted? If not, how much is how much? Our company is serious with this project because we believe that fortunate ones have the obligation to share their blessings to those who have less or none. Our project might just be small compared to the enormity of the medical needs of our country, but at least we want to do something, but "would there be takers"? Any?

[imprezawrxsti]

OT:

Late this afternoon, I was tasked by the Humanitarian arm of our company to make a proposal if our Mobile Clinic project is really worth pushing through. The project aims to provide at least 2 Mobile Clinics in each Philippine province (150 total) complete with Medical and Dental equipments to cater to the less fortunates for free. 2 doctors and a dentist with 3 nurses were proposed to man each clinic. Based on the budget allocations, doctors and dentists will be given $500 and $400 allowance/month, respectively. Do you think we could get enough doctors (300) for this project who will accept not just the task of serving the less fortunate but also the allowance alloted? If not, how much is how much? Our company is serious with this project because we believe that fortunate ones have the obligation to share their blessings to those who have less or none. Our project might just be small compared to the enormity of the medical needs of our country, but at least we want to do something, but "would there be takers"? Any?

BLESS YOU GUYS....

[OTEP]

May mga Filipino doctors naman who join the 'Doctors to the Barangay' program of the DOH or the French 'Doctors without boarders' where doctors are sent into the poorest countries (e.g. parts of Africa) or in countries where there is a war and a serious lack of medical care (e.g. the Middle East).

A $500.00 allowance is relatively generous especially for those just starting out in the field. I'm sure there will be applicants. But some doctors are willing accept very little compensation (e.g. around Php8k/mo) in big hospital residency programs because of the potential for earning big as a specialist in a major hospital afterwards.

[empy]

my pov:

anyone who spends 10 years of their life (and most likely hundreds of thousands of pesos) deserves to spend the rest of their life using that training to achieve their personal goals. WITHOUT being second-guessed.

if people in the government or elsewhere are concerned about the 'brain drain', then they should pay for doctors' education. then they have a right to say where that training should be used. (btw, i know that there are already programs for this, but they're probably underfunded)

the people who "need the doctors the most" are their own families - their spouses and children. their responsibility is to take care of those people and give them the best possible life. while some doctors and their families will gladly forgo the riches in order to serve the less fortunate, this must always be an intensely personal decision...at wala na tayong paki doon.

finally, why are we singling out doctors? any businessperson or professional has the same capability to help their country and their fellow pinoys in a large way. an engineer can build schools, a lawyer can provide indigent legal assistance, a businessman can employ the homeless....are those people who leave the country (or choose not to do charitable work) also 'abandoning' it?

[GlennSter]

my pov:

anyone who spends 10 years of their life (and most likely hundreds of thousands of pesos) deserves to spend the rest of their life using that training to achieve their personal goals. WITHOUT being second-guessed.

if people in the government or elsewhere are concerned about the 'brain drain', then they should pay for doctors' education. then they have a right to say where that training should be used. (btw, i know that there are already programs for this, but they're probably underfunded)

the people who "need the doctors the most" are their own families - their spouses and children. their responsibility is to take care of those people and give them the best possible life. while some doctors and their families will gladly forgo the riches in order to serve the less fortunate, this must always be an intensely personal decision...at wala na tayong paki doon.

finally, why are we singling out doctors? any businessperson or professional has the same capability to help their country and their fellow pinoys in a large way. an engineer can build schools, a lawyer can provide indigent legal assistance, a businessman can employ the homeless....are those people who leave the country (or choose not to do charitable work) also 'abandoning' it?

well said..well said..

[Gumusut_Amige]

Solon bats for scholarship for poor but deserving medicine students
Philstar news[size=3] - [/size]07/29 4:28:32 PM

Rep. Rodolfo Albano III (1st District, Isabela) has urged Congress to expedite the approval of his bill establishing a medical scholarship program for poor but deserving students to address the nation’s crisis in health services brought about by the unabated exodus of health and medical practitioners to other countries.

In seeking the passage of House Bill No. 3316, Albano said medical doctors constitute the core of the country’s public health service and the shortage of doctors weakens the capacity of government to deliver timely, adequate, competent and affordable medical and health care services to the people.

Albano stressed the need to create a steadily expanding pool of medical doctors as he noted the uncontrolled migration of medical professionals lured by higher salaries and better working conditions.

“We should implement a program that will encourage more qualified and public-service oriented young people to pursue medical education and establish a mechanism for their eventual integration into the country’s public health care system,” Albano said.

Under the proposal to be known as the Philippine Medical Scholarship and Service Act, scholarships in the field of medicine will be granted to deserving and qualified young individuals.

The program will cover tuition, matriculation and all other school fees, prescribed textbooks and other educational supplies and equipment, board and lodging expenses, clothing and uniform allowances, traveling expenses and other related miscellaneous living allowances.

The bill creates the Medical Scholarship and Service Board, which shall administer the Philippine Medical Scholarship and Service Program.

At a recent meeting by the House committee on higher and technical education chaired by Rep. Cynthia Villar (Las Piñas City), Dr. Cecilia Tomas, dean of the UP Manila College of Medicine, said UP offers scholarship programs for deserving students.

She cited the UP Oblation Scholarship Program, which awards scholarships to the top 50 UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) qualifiers, and also some privately funded scholarship programs. She said upon graduation, UP requires a total number of ten years as payback service.

Tomas also cited the Department of Health implements the “Pinoy MD” program, which is similar to the one being proposed by Albano in terms of subsidies although different in the qualification requirements of scholars.

Dr. Ramon Arcadio, Chancellor of UP Manila, suggested that the selection process for the scholars be left to the Scholarship Committee of the UP Manila College of Medicine “so that the selection process of the College will not be disturbed.”

Albano said he is not opposed to the suggestion but maintained that priority should be given to poor but deserving students.

================================================== ========
Heto na ang pinakahihintay natin... bakit kaya kahit ganitong mga klaseng bill ay pinagtatagal din sa kongreso?

[midinite]

my pov:


if people in the government or elsewhere are concerned about the 'brain drain', then they should pay for doctors' education. then they have a right to say where that training should be used. (btw, i know that there are already programs for this, but they're probably underfunded)

I spoke to someone yesterday. He is part of a group that exports nurses. He says the UK has curtailed Pinoy nurses from coming into the UK kasi the UK is concerned about the "brain drain"...just a thought

[StraightSix]

I spoke to someone yesterday. He is part of a group that exports nurses. He says the UK has curtailed Pinoy nurses from coming into the UK kasi the UK is concerned about the "brain drain"...just a thought

IMO he figured it wrong. Yes, there was concern here in the UK but it was so-so. IIRIC, it was just a segment in the daily news and then nothing else. Nothing that the public really took much notice of.

I would've thought that the reason is the state of the National Health Service (NHS) itself, which is a mess and going deep in the red. With the on-going reforms, the objective is to do more with less people ... therefore the halt in recruitment of all foreign nurses, not just pinoys. Besides, they're now mass-producing nurses, too. I guess the "bait" is just too tempting - which is a bursary that now amounts -from what I've heard, to £8,000 for each student who takes up nursing ... whereas uni students of another course can only rely on their own pockets or on student loans.

These new nurses are replacing those who went for other careers or to the US/Middle East where they can earn more. This "brain-drain" that partly started the shortage here is the one that matters to the UK, not the one in the Philippines.

[Flagg]

Kaya bilib me sayo e sir M54...

[Fast Eddie]

doctors leave, simply they want greener pastures. karamihan, ini-isip nila ung cost of living allowances.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Both my sister and her hubby are doctors in the Philippines. They have no plans to leave the Philippines any time soon. But, they had sent my nephews here to live with relatives and where they'll have their college.

[morrissey_05]

i just found out that health services take up only something like P9 billion of the yearly budget. thats something like 1 PERCENT of the total budget!! no wonder health services in the country are in bad shape. we just dont have enough to support local doctors working in public hospitals.

this government must get its priorities straight. when people ask me what i think will improve the state this country is in, i always immediately respond with increase in the budgets for HEALTH and EDUCATION. forget politics, and GARCI and impeachment, etc. and pour the resources into these two, and i think our country will get somewhere.

also, its not enough we increase the budgets for these two areas. we must also assure that the money is being managed properly and it goes to where its supposed to go.

great topic guys, and very good views on both sides.

[niky]

forget politics

Not that I want to get embroiled in a political debate, but tell that to Gloria. Look at the tons of money poured into campaigning for Cha-cha and into courting the people through monetary give-aways and benefits.

But yeah, politics sucks...

[BlueGirl]

minsan hindi mo sila masisi kung bakit mas gusto pa nila mag abroad para maging nurse dahil un ang in demand..kasi baka sila nga yung mga doctor na gusto kumita agad ng malaki..

nung gusto ko pa magmed dati,hindi ko hanggad na yumaman dahil dun..pero para makatulong sa mga tao..para sakin yun ang essence ng medicine..parang yung tita ko,kahit na hindi siya kumikita ng malaki,palagi sila nsa medical mission,at least fullfilled siya kasi ganon ang vision niya sa profession na pinasok niya..

may family frend kaming cardiologist..sabi niya it took him 10years bago siya pinilahan ng mga patiente...sariling sikap un dahil hindi naman sila "family of doctors"..dun ako bilib..

lahat naman ng bagay hindi makukuha ng madalian eh..

[midinite]

lahat naman ng bagay hindi makukuha ng madalian eh..

Good point. When we conducted a regional research for MTV and Coke on the youth of Asia one thing came out...people are now more concerned about the "destination" than the "journey."

Let me explain what that means:

1. The previous Asian generation was more concerned about the "journey". That meant they did hard work and would only spend what they had. Not concerned with brands or imagery of them but in good hardwork.

2. The new Asian generation is more concerned about the "destination". That means they would rather have a Rolex or a BMW (the top brands in their eyes) even if it meant being in debt. They are more title oriented and more about flash that substance. They want it all now. Not willing to work hard and wait for it to come in due time.

[midinite]

Group...am glad to see this discussion is alive and well. It is a pressing issue.