The overseas Filipino nurses HARVARD
AS a country, we always celebrate the positive impact of our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their contribution to our economy through their remittances. The World Bank provides remittances data for the Philippines from 1977 to 2018. The average value for the Philippines during that period was 7.16 percent, with a minimum of 1.73 percent in 1977 and a maximum of 13.32 percent in 2005. The latest value from 2018 is 10.22 percent. For comparison, the world average in 2018 based on 170 countries was 4.93 percent ( www.theglobaleconomy.com/Philippines/
The diaspora of Filipino nurses is a beautiful story to tell, and this story needs to continue. To me, the contribution of our OFWs, particularly the nurses, to our gross domestic product is just the icing on the cake. What we need to recognize more is the fact that the nurses we have sent to countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, etc., have actually created a unique value in their healthcare ecosystem. Our nurses have saved countless lives. In my article on Nov. 14, 2019 about Filipino nurses in the UK, I narrated with pride the success stories of our kababayan (countrymen) there. We have thriving Filipino communities throughout the UK where Filipino nurses are welcomed, valued and appreciated by all. They have put the Philippines on the map as a premier source of well-educated, much-liked and trusted health care professionals. We should not forget this, and particularly during this unprecedented crisis, I believe it is prudent that we show that we do care for them. They deserve to know that.
We clearly recognize the issue of nursing ratio in our hospitals and we need to resolve this to ensure that quality patient care is delivered consistently in our country. The nursing brain drain in the Philippines is an ongoing phenomenon and the underlying reasons such as economic, personal or family decisions are important factors to look into. And we need to pay attention to nurses’ equitable compensation and clear career path, and to recognize the value that they bring to our society.
Could a framework for emigrating nurses be the solution to these issues? A framework that will allow us to manage our supply and demand for nurses; to have a reliable data source on the nursing population; and a framework that will allow hospitals to manage the knowledge transfer of nurses who plan to emigrate. We need to establish this framework, and the commitment of all hospitals, recruitment agencies, regulatory bodies, government agencies and our precious nurses is imperative.
It may be worth revisiting the existing World Health Organization Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (2010). The objectives of this code are: 1) to establish and promote voluntary principles and practices for the ethical international recruitment of health personnel, taking into account the rights, obligations and expectations of source countries, destination countries and migrant health personnel; 2) to serve as a reference for member tastes in establishing or improving the legal and institutional framework required for the international recruitment of health personnel; 3) to provide guidance that may be used where appropriate in the formulation and implementation of bilateral agreements and other international legal instruments; and 4) to facilitate and promote international discussion and advance cooperation on matters related to the ethical international recruitment of health personnel as part of strengthening health systems, with a particular focus on the situation of developing countries.
This could be a strategic approach to healthcare staff development challenges and with the creation of structured knowledge transfer process. I understand that this code is voluntary, but its objectives encompass the current issues that our nurses and our country face at the moment hence the need to look into it again.
As a country, we need to carefully assess if we should hold back the dreams of the thousands of Filipino nurses — the dream to work overseas from the day they made the decision to take up nursing. And are we going to deprive their families of the quality of life that they deserve and aspire for?
President Rodrigo Duterte said we heal as ONE, let’s resolve this as ONE.
Lastly, I’d like to pay tribute to all the nurses working overseas. I salute your bravery and selfless commitment to save lives. And to our fallen heroes, you will always be remembered and your death will not be in vain. Thank you for saving us all!