Doctors are leaving the country - are they abandoning those who need them the most?

[theveed]

what is the problem of this country? the biggest problem of this country is that people just dont seem to care.

In every facet of their daily lives, if I may add...

[uls]

Yes. people just dont care.

Well, when ur trying to make it in this world... when ur trying to survive and live in this ruthless world, when ur trying to put food on the table for urself and ur family... the suffering of other people is just background noise.

its only when ur needs and wants are fully met... then u can start caring about other people. like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

[uls]

and young people are much more materialistic now.

I know some high school kids who won't drive their parents' old cars (old as in late 90's). Binibigay na sa kanila ayaw pa nila. Gusto nila late model tricked out SUVs. or luxury sedans. dapat bling bling.

Sa lagay na yan di pa nagtatrabaho...

[midinite]

and young people are much more materialistic now.

I know some high school kids who won't drive their parents' old cars (old as in late 90's). Binibigay na sa kanila ayaw pa nila. Gusto nila late model tricked out SUVs. or luxury sedans. dapat bling bling.

Sa lagay na yan di pa nagtatrabaho...

Yup can remember when I was going to college in the 80s na naka public. Kahit sa ulan.

[morrissey_05]

and young people are much more materialistic now.

I know some high school kids who won't drive their parents' old cars (old as in late 90's). Binibigay na sa kanila ayaw pa nila. Gusto nila late model tricked out SUVs. or luxury sedans. dapat bling bling.

Sa lagay na yan di pa nagtatrabaho...

that is shocking, to put it mildly.

[theveed]

ULS: I heard a Grade 1 kid nga na nahihiya daw sya kung di sya hinatid sa kotse... Di pa "sosy" school to ha...

[uls]

haha kids nowadays... grabe..

very status conscious mga bata ngaun. Sa celfone palang... dapat hindi bababa ng 15T or 20T ang halaga. Pag binigyan mo ng Nokia 1100 baka ibato pa sayo.

sori OT na hehe

[smooth]

btw, the moment you sacrifice your beliefs for the welfare of your child, i will be the first to congratulate you and you would have been the biggest winner not just in my eyes but to your child as well. in my very honest opinion, charity begins at home.

peace pre. i'm sorry to single out your post but it was too cumbersome to quote others. i just want to air my general sentiment. i'm a physician. and i know firsthand why people leave. some of these people who leave are not starving, so suffice it to say that it is not just economics that is the issue here. show me a country whose own armed forces strive to be citizens of another land, and i'll show you its citizenry whose biggest dream is to be immigrants.

at some point in time what we need is a tipping point where our people would choose to stay rather than be forced to. forcing people to stay is only a stop gap measure that would be even more detrimental. at the moment, enrollment in the college of medicine is down. applications for residency training institutions are so meager that hospitals are really getting worried. passing a bill requiring physicians to stay would only make things worse.

is there a solution? not in the near future. but this i can tell you: all the negative publicity and sentiment being directed against physicians by the media (and a lot of uninformed citizens of this country) are not helping any. i honestly believe that the medical crisis that so many sectors of society keep on talking about will happen (as it has already begun, first in the countryside and perhaps eventually in manila).

[midinite]

at some point in time what we need is a tipping point where our people would choose to stay rather than be forced to. forcing people to stay is only a stop gap measure that would be even more detrimental. at the moment, enrollment in the college of medicine is down. applications for residency training institutions are so meager that hospitals are really getting worried. passing a bill requiring physicians to stay would only make things worse.

is there a solution? not in the near future. but this i can tell you: all the negative publicity and sentiment being directed against physicians by the media (and a lot of uninformed citizens of this country) are not helping any. i honestly believe that the medical crisis that so many sectors of society keep on talking about will happen (as it has already begun, first in the countryside and perhaps eventually in manila).

Sadly. This is a complex issue.

BTW, did you get the message I sent about the e group? We can help out sa parts...and you are invited to check out our steeds.

[mazdamazda]

i just found out that health services take up only something like P9 billion of the yearly budget. thats something like 1 PERCENT of the total budget!! no wonder health services in the country are in bad shape. we just dont have enough to support local doctors working in public hospitals.

That's because 75% of our budget goes down the drain to pay for our past debts. With only around P200B to play with, that really wouldn't go anywhere really.

And strangely the generalisation of Pinoys outside is that Pinoys are highly political in the workplace. That is according to some foreigners. mga CEO ng banks and such kaya nakaka dismaya

Not just in the financial industry... but in almost business in general. I have been a victim of this, the CIO & Director has already approved my hiring but the staff was "protesting" why I should be hired (since I am younger than them, they have worked longer in the company, I have a lower rank than them before).

===

Our problem is not the brain-drain or flight of skilled workers (e.g. doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, etc.). The problem is with the overall values of the Filipino. Let me tackle a few of them:

1. Gambling. Rich or poor, a lot are hooked on gambling. Whether it is cockfighting, jueteng, horse race, tong-its, mah-jong, etc. Instead of working a lot idle away their time in this non-essential facet of life.

2. Spending. Many don't really prioritize their needs. From flashy phones, excessive jewelry, appliance showoff, vices (alcohol, cigarette, drugs), etc.

3. Nationalism. It really is a kanya-kanya world out there. Even in the LRT / MRT you get shoved / elbowed / pushed / stepped-on regardless of your gender / age.

4. Finger-pointing. The national past time of Filipinos. More often than not we just blame the government for the mess that we got in - when in fact we are also at fault (e.g. not remitting the proper taxes, smuggling, disregarding traffic rules, etc.). As one tsikoteer posted before, a lot are just armchair critics. All talk no action.

[mikey177]

smooth,

As the husband of a doctor, I know where you're coming from. My wife's birthday is coming up soon, and she is still going to spend that day working. Right now she is somewhere on the highway between Tarlac and Pangasinan --with typhoon Henry lashing out at northern Luzon-- trying to make it home after a hard day's work, and I'm here praying she doesn't encounter any deep floods or road hazards along her route.

It's difficult being a doctor, and I do whatever small things I can to support my spouse and make her daily duties lighter.

[smooth]

smooth,

As the husband of a doctor, I know where you're coming from. My wife's birthday is coming up soon, and she is still going to spend that day working. Right now she is somewhere on the highway between Tarlac and Pangasinan --with typhoon Henry lashing out at northern Luzon-- trying to make it home after a hard day's work, and I'm here praying she doesn't encounter any deep floods or road hazards along her route.

It's difficult being a doctor, and I do whatever small things I can to support my spouse and make her daily duties lighter.

regards to mrs.mikey (and advanced happy birthday too)

[uls]

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