Phi Kappa Mu's search for hero doctors

Phi Kappa Mu fraternity of the UP College of Medicine has launched Diamonds in The Rough: The National Search for Outstanding Young Doctors in the Community Setting.  The search aims to recognize young doctors serving depressed and underserved communities in the country, and highlights their selfless efforts to help these areas. 

“It takes a special kind of dedication to one’s calling as a doctor to give up the promise of personal comfort and profit. These are the people who most deserve recognition in the medical field,” says Alvin Anastacio, the fraternity’s standard bearer and DITR project chair.

According to the Philippine Medical Association, of the 35,000 active practicing doctors in its registry, 6,000 now work abroad while 4,000 have shifted to nursing.  Health officials have noted that some hospitals have even been forced to close for lack of doctors.  Government estimates about 120 municipalities across the country do not have doctors, and doctor-patient ratio is now at a low of one doctor for every 28,000 Filipinos.

In 2005, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) registered 14,700 medical-related workers deployed for the first time, or about 4.4 percent of the total Filipino migrant workers. Reasons for the exodus of doctors abroad range from economics to further studies, including shifting to the nursing profession. One study revealed that enrollment in medical schools had also gone down 40-50 percent over the past few years.  Even the pursuit of specialization among medical doctors has gone down an estimated 50 percent.Whatever the case, doctors who have stayed willingly to serve under less than ideal conditions are rare jewels. They may be doctors in far-flung barrios or among the urban poor. Their contributions may be in research or scholarly activities, advancing medicine, improving hygiene, sanitation, nutrition or environmental conditions or dedicating time and talent for public health.

“With Diamonds in the Rough, we seek to call attention to what these selfless unsung heroes are already doing,” declares Vincent Varilla, superior exemplar of the Phi Kappa Mu fraternity.  “From there, it is clearer to see what more needs to be done.”

DITR specifies that nominees should be doctors aged 40 years old and below, so that the young doctors can serve as role models for today’s youth. 

The project will select winners from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Each doctor will be awarded P100,000 worth of prizes, while another P100,000 worth will go to their community for sustainable projects.

Screening and evaluation of qualified nominees will be conducted by a panel of judges composed of project partners from across different sectors of society. These include the Department of Social Welfare and Development, World Health Organization, Philippine Medical Association, Philippine National Red Cross, and PAGCOR.

Diamonds in the Rough is part of Phi Kappa Mu’s 75th anniversary celebration, and co-presented by the Rotary Club of Paco.  Phi Kappa Mu launched anniversary activities last year with Empowerment Through Mobility, a project that imported and distributed 550 wheelchairs for free to numerous beneficiaries.  Buoyed by its success, the fraternity will distribute a second round of wheelchairs for free in association with the Free Wheelchair Mission this year.    

For more details, visit http://diamondsintherough.ph/About.html.