MANILA, Philippines — A group of Filipino professionals yesterday expressed the need to produce more health care workers in the country, saying many are now leaving to find work abroad.
Dr. Benito Atienza, vice president of the Philippine Federation of Professional Associations, said there is an ongoing “brain drain” in the country with several health care workers like nurses, medical technologists and even physical therapists taking advantage of better job opportunities overseas.
“There is a need for the Senate and Congress to review the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers so that those in the health sector are given more protection,” Atienza said at the Laging Handa public briefing.
Health workers should be given much higher compensation than what is being offered to them abroad for them not to leave the country, “Or else, we will really run out of health care workers here,” said Atienza, former president of the Philippine Medical Association.
“Though sending workers abroad is a means of income generation for the Philippines, we also need to address the exodus of health care workers, as well as look into encouraging the youth to take up nursing or health-related courses so we can strengthen the country’s health care system,” Atienza stressed.
At the same time, he lamented that many health care workers have not yet received their benefits for work during this pandemic.
“Many in the private sector are yet to receive their allowances and other benefits like doctors and nurses,” Atienza said.
He added that the health sector should be given priority by the government since health professionals serve as frontliners while we are still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Marcos on Thursday said he will increase the number of Filipino nurses to be deployed abroad as his administration tries to resolve issues faced by the profession in the country.
The government has set a 7,500 cap on the deployment of health care workers overseas.
Meanwhile, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) yesterday said it will extend assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by community lockdowns in several parts of China, amid the fresh wave of COVID-19 infections there.
In a statement released by the Department of Migrant Workers, OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio has vowed to provide aid to these OFWs.
“We are working with the Philippine embassy there to coordinate the assistance effort,” said Ignacio.
He added, “Initially, OWWA is looking to provide food vouchers for the affected OFWs.”
Ignacio, however noted that there is no Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Chengdu. He said they still called for an emergency meeting to determine how best to help the OFWs in the affected areas.
The government of Chengdu imposed a city-wide lockdown following the surge in COVID-19 cases over the past week. Around 21 million people are estimated to be adversely affected by the community lockdown.