EDITORIAL - Exodus

You only have to look at the classified ads to realize how in demand Philippine nurses have become all over the world. The demand is so high even physicians are now taking nursing courses to find jobs abroad. The higher pay is good news for these health workers and their families, but worrisome news for the country.

The Philippine Nurses Association warned recently that the nation could face a health crisis within two years if the exodus of nurses conti-nues. In the first eight months of 2002 alone, 7,855 nurses left the country for jobs in the United States, Canada, Britain and other places, according to records of the Overseas Employment Administration. Often, those who leave are the most skilled, according to the nurses’ association. Worse, among those who have been recruited are professors and even deans of Philippine nursing schools.

How soon before no one is left in this country? The top private hospitals can probably hold on to their best nurses. But what about government health centers, which are already understaffed? Be it ever so humble or chaotic, this is still home, and many Filipinos would still prefer to stay in their own country. But the poor pay in government health centers is one of the biggest disincentives. Monthly salaries usually start at P7,000; a pay of P15,000 is considered high. In contrast, tuition for a nursing degree does not come cheap. At current pay scales in government, it will take ages before a nurse’s family can even recover the amount they spent on the nurse’s education.

If the government does not tackle this looming crisis, the public health care system could end up like the public education system. Abysmal pay has forced many teachers to seek work abroad even as maids, leaving public schools in the care of underqualified teachers. Meanwhile, the Department of Health has expressed alarm over the mushrooming of nursing schools, with the number doubling since 1998. The DOH warned that this could lead to a decline in the quality of nursing education. Will the brain drain leave the nation stuck with second-rate nurses?

We have seen the sorry results of poor education. The nation must not wait for the public health care system to hit that level of deterioration.