PHNurses
The unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world-changing health crisis today
18/12/2021
The health department has reported that hospitals are being understaffed by at least a hundred thousand nurses due to the spread of COVID-19. Philippine nurses are becoming overwhelmed as they receive more workload from the lack of human resources. However, despite the understaffing, the number of nurses resigning increases over time.
Maristela Abenojar, the President of Filipino Nurses United, has been mentioned in multiple news articles and may give reasons as to why the situation about nurses is getting worse. She has stated that most entry-level nurses working in public hospitals are working on short-term contracts and earning only ₱22,000, which is ₱11,000 less than that of a regular entry-level nurse. She has also stated that most of the country’s health workers are not even entitled to hazard pay despite the risks of exposing themselves to infected patients. In our fight to contain the pandemic, the healthcare system should first secure the welfare of our healthcare workers.
17/12/2021
Frontline healthcare workers are already at an increased risk amidst efforts to help them with financial stipends around the world. It is evident that the Philippines does not have the same amount of care for their nurses as the compensation for working under these grueling conditions have not been near equal.
17/12/2021
There are millions of Filipino nurses working abroad to help support their families. There are much more good opportunities present in other countries for our hardworking nurse workforce to benefit from. But, the question is . . .
"Are opportunities abroad that good or are the opportunities in the Philippines just not worth it?".
The healthcare system in the Philippines does not take care of their nurses and does not offer them a fair payout for the education they attained. So, opportunities abroad are more much more financially practical compared to staying in the Philippines. The Philippine healthcare system needs to give more incentive for our local underpaid, overworked and unappreciated heroes. A reform in our healthcare system is a MUST.