EDITORIAL - Doctors wanted

The first vaccination program in the country against pneumonia among infants was launched yesterday in Butuan City. At the Butuan Medical Center, the dancing assistant secretary of the Department of Health, Eric Tayag, swayed to the tune of “Gangnam Style” as the vaccination program was launched. But Tayag’s mood turned somber after being asked for additional doctors for the program.

Several years after some 100 private hospitals across the archipelago were forced to close shop for lack of health professionals particularly physicians, the country continues to suffer from a shortage of doctors. The problem is felt in Butuan, which was chosen by the World Health Organization as the venue for the launch of the pneumonia vaccination program.

The government-run Butuan Medical Center, for example, is designed as a 70-bed facility but has been compelled to accommodate up to 200 patients, and the doctors are overwhelmed. City officials told Tayag that most of the doctors were only visiting and were from private hospitals.

Butuan is fortunate to have a state-run hospital. Many other parts of the country make do with small medical clinics. In remote areas, residents either wait for occasional visits from government health workers or travel long distances for medical treatment.

Not many Filipinos have the academic qualifications and financial resources for medical school. With specialization, medical students must be prepared to wait for over a decade before the substantial financial investments in their education start paying off, especially for those who obtain post-graduate degrees abroad. The shortage of physicians worsened in recent years, when doctors opted to find work abroad as nurses. This phenomenon has abated following a global glut in nurses, but the Philippines continues to suffer from a shortage of doctors.

The government cannot afford to ignore this persistent problem. Incentives can be developed and state subsidies for low-income students can be drawn up to encourage more Filipinos to become doctors. Health, it is often said, is wealth. Poverty alleviation measures must include improved public health care, with sufficient health professionals to provide the services.