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Private Hospital Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PHAPI) on Tuesday, said it is concerned with a possible shortage of manpower as medical staff resigned to pursue jobs abroad.

PHAPI) president Dr. Jose Rene de Grano in a media interview, said about 5 percent of nurses filed resignations because they wanted to work abroad.

“Kung hindi po natin medyo mapipigilan itong pag-alis na ito, baka po in another 6 months, baka po maubusan tayo ng mga nurses at mapipilay po talaga ang ating mga health facilities,” he said

“Iyon po ang kinakatakot natin dahil ‘pag masyado po tayong lumuwag sa pagpapalabas ng ating mga healthcare workers at wala naman tayong maipalit kaagad sa kanila, baka tayo po ang maubusan ng healthcare workers. Magiging limitado tayo, limited ang ating pagtanggap ng pasyente,” he added. 

Some health workers earlier complained of low pay and poor working conditions. 

On Sunday, Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, acknowledged that some health workers avail of job opportunities abroad because of the attractive pay.

“Kung mapapaakyat siguro natin, mapapataas natin ang sweldong matatanggap ng ating nurses ay maaaring magkaroon sila ng pagdadalawang-isip doon sa pag-alis sa ating bansa. Kasi, maiisip nila na, ‘Medyo okay naman tong magiging sweldo ko, so pwede na siguro akong mag-stay na lang dito. Kasama ko ang aking pamilya, kahit medyo slightly mababa. Pero, at least okay’,” she said .

“Pero kung malaki ang difference, mahihirapan talaga tayo. We have to accept, sa ibang bansa, talagang mas malaki ang suweldo na kanilang matatanggap, and maybe the chance of working in another hospital, lalo na kung UK at saka sa America, medyo iba yung enticement nung pagtatrabaho sa UK at America,” she added.

Limpin said that more than the additional benefits, a higher basic pay will really matter.

She appealed to hospital administrators to take care of their current staff, noting that their experience in attending to COVID-19 patients makes them extra valuable compared to newly hired staff.
 
President Rodrigo Duterte in September said government would look for funds to hire more medical frontliners, as the Philippines battled one of Asia’s worst coronavirus outbreaks straining the health care system. 

The government has distributed the most of the delayed special risk allowance that health workers protested in recent months, said De Grano. 

“Meron pa rin pong pailan-ilan na hindi [nakakatanggap], pero inaayos na po ito ng ating mga LGUs at ng Department of Health,” he said.