Ban on health workers’ deployment abroad is unjust

THE government-imposed ban on the travel and deployment abroad of Filipino health workers at the time of the Covid-19 crisis is unfair and insensitive.

The pandemic has created a high demand for healthcare workers (HCWs) across the globe as countries try to increase their healthcare capacity. Developed countries are actively recruiting health workers form underdeveloped and developing countries because their health workers are dwindling as they succumb to the disease.

Unfortunately, the government ban affects health workers already employed abroad who are in the country for various reasons, including vacation. They are now afraid of losing their jobs if they are not allowed to return.

The ban also affects HCWs who are currently employed in different lines of work. They work outside of healthcare because they need to feed their families, but government refuses to hire them and working in private hospitals is not an attractive option because of poor pay. The ban will prevent them from working abroad.

The Covid-19 crisis highlights government’s long-standing neglect of health human resource development and labor export policy. The period 2003 to 2009 saw a massive migration of health workers, with more than 8,000 nurses leaving annually. Although this exodus almost crippled the Philippine healthcare system, government did little to provide opportunities for their professional and personal development here. Up until last year, the government refused to implement the Nursing Act of 2002 and give nurses the salary as stated in the law.

Thus, the issue is about how little this government values its own health workers. There is no lack of nationalism from health workers, only a lack of opportunities for them to stay and serve.

To date, around 30 healthcare workers have died and more than 200 are Covid-19 positive. But support for health personnel is still lacking, as the procurement of PPEs and other supplies remains slow, testing is undeniably delayed, and the provision of additional benefits elusive.

To ban health workers from seeking employment abroad while denying them employment here is the height of hypocrisy and callousness.

Instead of deny health workers the choices that are rightfully theirs, government should focus on making their stay here more viable and real. The brain drain is a consequence of how little the state cares for those who care but where they work should remain their own choice.

“Napakaraming doktor at nars dito sa atin, pero bakit tila walang natira?” – Gene Alzona Nisperos, MD, komunidadmd@gmail.com