Doctors for the Barangay

Our country has emerged as one of the biggest suppliers of health care workers in the world. The exodus of nurses and doctors in the last ten years for higher-paying jobs in countries like the US, Canada and the UK, however, has left our own health system in a state of near collapse.

Our Health Department estimates that at least 3,000 experienced doctors are leaving the country each year for greener pastures abroad. The Philippine Nurses Association has estimated that roughly 80 percent of the latest batch of more than 28,000 new nurses in the country intends to work overseas.

Rural communities are the hardest hit. The poor state of health facilities, inaccessibility of health care services, and the dearth of qualified health professionals make it twice as hard for people living in the provinces to deal with ailments and health problems.

As one of its Centennial projects, the University of the Philippines is establishing a School of Health Sciences (SHS) in Aurora Province, a satellite campus of UP Manila. There is already one in Palo, Leyte. The goal is to put up one SHS in every major island group in the country.

Through the SHS system, those who want to take up medicine, nursing and midwifery courses need not go to Manila. Students who do not have financial means to pursue these courses but are willing to serve their communities will not only be able to study for free, but also benefit from an excellent UP education. Scholars are nominated by their communities, and are required to render return service for a specific number of years after completion of their studies.

By creating a pool of rural doctors dedicated to serving their communities, we will fill the lack of health practitioners and basic health care providers in the countryside.