EDITORIAL – Health workers’ exodus

The nation is producing a record number of nurses, but they are staying in the country just long enough to await job placement overseas. Go-vernment health centers and even many private hospitals have been feeling the brain drain. The other day it was the turn of the Armed Forces of the Phi-lippines to complain about its dwindling corps of nurses.

As the AFP’s Nurse Corps celebrated its 66th anniversary the other day, many of its members were likely to be dreaming of leaving soon for greener pastures abroad. AFP officials said 60 officer nurses have left the corps since last year, with only 24 new ones joining the service. The AFP is authorized to have 436 nurses; a fourth of the positions need to be filled. With the AFP offering a basic monthly pay of P16,000, the lure of jobs in countries such as the United States and Britain – where nurses can get up to 10 times that amount – is irresistible.

The medical community has been sounding the alarm for some time about the exodus of health personnel. It’s not just nurses but also doctors who are leaving in droves. As it is the nation is already suffering from an acute lack of competent doctors, with most of the experts found only in a handful of private hospitals in Metro Manila. These days doctors are getting degrees in nursing for faster employment overseas.

If left unchecked, this exodus can lead to a crisis in public health care. Quality medical care is already beyond the reach of the average Filipino. The departure of thousands of medical personnel can only increase further the cost of health care. Even midwives are leaving for the Middle East.

The government cannot stop people from seeking better paying jobs abroad, especially when there are no better alternatives available at home. Unable to put the brakes on this trend, the government must prepare for the possibility that no one will be left to provide health care to those left behind.