PBBM: ASEAN, dapat tugunan ang brain drain sa healthcare sector

DAPAT na mag-adjust ng Southeast Asian countries at maghanap ng paraan para tugunan ang human capital flight, partikular na ang  healthcare sector para sa kapakanan ng rehiyon.

Ang usapin ng brain drain sa health sector ng rehiyon partikular na sa pangingibang-bayan ng mga nars at doktor ay tinalakay sa pakikipagpulong ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa Temasek Foundation executives sa Palasyo ng Malakanyang.

“We are very proud of (our nurses and doctors) and the role they play during the height of the pandemic but as I said, we are a victim of our own success,” ang sinabi ni Pangulong  Marcos sa mga opsiyal ng Temasek sa pangunguna ng chairman nito na si  Jennie Chua Kheng Yeng.

“But you know, we have to adjust and find other ways. We have to give them at least equal opportunities at home. It is very clear that most Filipino overseas workers are willing to take less in terms of pay so long as they can stay here,” ang wika ng Pangulo sabay sabing “If Singapore can find a solution to that problem, it would immensely help the Southeast Asian region’s healthcare sector.”

Sinabi naman ni  Chua na sang-ayon ang Singapore nursing association sa  register nurses sa  Singapore na pigilin ang  human capital flight sa sektor matapos mawala sa kanilang bansa ang 400 nurses tungo sa  New Zealand, na nag-alok ng permanent residency (PR).

Sa ilalim ng  New Zealand’s PR, maaaring dalhin at isama ng mga nurse ang kanilang pamilya, payagan ang kanilang mga anak na makapag-aral sa local schools, at mag-aplay para sa pabahay.

Sinabi naman ni Temasek Foundation International chair na ayaw ng Singapore na bigyan ang mga  Filipino nurses ng  citizenship hindi aniya katulad ng alok ng  USA, Canada at New Zealand  upang “they can go back and forth during their working years.”

Pinuri naman ni Chua ang Pilipinas sa pagpo-produce ng  “good nurses and doctors”.

Sinabi nito na karamihan na doktor na  nasa Singapore’s emergency room ay mga Filipino.

Pinuri rin nito ang kanilang pagsasanay na base sa “life experience.”

Sa ulat, ang Temasek Foundation,  ay “Singapore-based non-profit philanthropic organization, is an arm of Singapore’s state sovereign fund Temasek Holdings.”

“The foundation funds and supports programs aimed at building community capabilities in Asia and beyond through philanthropic endowments. The foundation forged agreements with the Philippines to enhance competencies across industries, through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) (Digitalization and Industry 4.0) Program, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with Design Thinking Programme, and Health Care Management Program,” ayon pa rin sa ulat. (Daris Jose)