A doctor performs eye surgery at a hospital in the Philippines. The health system there faces a "serious problem" as its doctors and nurses seek better jobs overseas, President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman Ignacio Bunye saidThe Philippine health system faces a "serious problem" as its doctors and nurses seek better jobs overseas, President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman Ignacio Bunye said.

"This is indeed a serious problem but the decision of our best and well-trained medical practitioners to leave the country to look for greener pastures abroad is somewhat out of our hands," he said.

He was referring to reports that so many Filipino doctors and nurses were leaving the country to work overseas that some 1,000 private hospitals had been forced to close across the Philippines.

Resident doctors in private hospitals take home up to 18,000 pesos a month (333 dollars) while nurses are paid 12,000 pesos. In contrast, they could earn thousands of dollars if they worked in the United States or Europe.

Many Filipino doctors return to school to get a degree in nursing, because nurses are in greater demand abroad, experts say.

Bunye said in a statement that the government was looking at "options and strategies to encourage our doctors to serve at home," or to make up for the departures by getting more medical school graduates.

"Our aim is to make sure that the right of the ordinary people to public health will be constantly safeguarded," he added.

(Source www.todayonline.com)

---

highly unlikely.  as much as there's a lot to be improved in the philippines, the only motivation left to serve our country is a person's personal choice.  and as much as a lot of our countrymen do want to do such, the support system is not just there or not enough to encourage them to do so.. 

this is really scary.... it's been happening for the past years and I wonder if the government is realizing this issue. The country do get higher dollar remittances in exchange of crippled health system.

I think the government should push for something like serve the country first for six years, before they can work abroad. Or maybe tax them more.

This is really sadening. I'm a nurse, i decided to work in the usa because the pay back home is just not enough to help my familiy.

its a very long road that the government has to go through... but if we all work together, i think it can be done. make compromises, meet halfway 'ika nga...