Senator Pia Cayetano says government scholarship programs should be studied carefully because despite being given free, student-beneficiaries leave the country after their studies.
During a hearing of the Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Futures Thinking (SDGIFT), data presented by the Department of Health(DOH), showed public universities and colleges will spend more than P3.5 billion for the training, reintegration, salaries and benefits to study medicine, nursing, midwifery and medical technology from 2020 to 2040.
Cayetano, committee chairperson, questioned why the government needs to spend the taxpayers’ money for the medical scholars’ education “if they will just go abroad and use there what they learned in the country for free.”
“What can we do to make them stay? But it’s their right to go to the country they want,” she said.
The senator admitted there is no law that mandates students who finished courses under the government’s health program to work in the country for a period of time. She said this issue is a very sensitive matter.
She also cited the need to improve the working health conditions in the country so health care professionals will choose to work here.
Records from the PRC showed that as of March 24, 2023, there are 951,105 registered nurses in the country.
Of this figure, 509,257 or 53.55 percent are on active status, meaning they are working as nurses.
Regarding midwives, 182,339 are registered during the same period wherein 69,475 or 38.1 percent are on active status.
On the other hand, 95,039 or 59.70 percent are active from the 159,183 registered doctors, also as of March 24, 2023.
PRC Commissioner Erwin Enad said that “supply-wise, we have these professionals, but records would show that not all of them are practicing their profession.”
Because of these instances, the senator emphasized the need for the government to do its best to provide competitive salaries for the healthcare workers.
In her opening statement during the Senate hearing, Cayetano said Philippine health workers and all those involved in the health sector should have decent work.
“It is a reality that our human health resources- from our doctors, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, and many others, our scientists, are pretty much in demand all over the world. They are amazing at their jobs. They are well trained. And they have very bright futures in other countries,” Cayetano said.
He noted that “we are mindful of their right to explore greener pastures, but we would really like the Philippines to be a pasture that they are also content and happy with,” she said.
According to Cayetano, this should be the goal of the government.