TO address the mass migration of Filipino nurses, Senator Raffy Tulfo proposed the grant of full scholarships by the government to deserving students wishing to become nurses.

During the Senate Committee on Health and Demography joint with Ways and Means; and Finance last Oct. 11, Tulfo suggested that chosen scholars be required to serve in government hospitals for at least four to five years after graduation to ensure enough number of nurses in every hospital in the country

In making such remark, Tulfo noted that the ideal nurse to patient ratio is at 1:4, but the current ratio in the Philippines is estimated at 1:20, which compromises nursing care and exhausts nurses.

The proposal is beneficial both for aspiring nurses, especially those from poor families needing educational assistance, and government hospitals facing shortage of healthcare workers.

The senator from Isabela and Davao also asked DOH to address the discrimination that Filipino nurses are facing in the workplace, including selective grant of benefits such as hazard pay.

Tulfo said he learned that only the nurses who were exposed to COVID-19 patients or were assigned to the COVID-19 wards were the ones eligible for hazard pay.

“We should be sensitive sa mga needs ng ating mga nurses. Kailangan natin silang alagaan at tratuhin nang maayos. We should be fair. Importante din na gamitin ang common sense in addressing their needs,” he said.

He stressed that all nurses are at risk of getting the infection the moment that they travel to work to the time that they reach the hospitals to care for their patients for hours on end.

Due to exhaustion, discrimination, and lower salaries, most Filipino nurses are moving to other counties for the promise of a better life.

As such, Tulfo said he will look into the issue deeper to assess what bills to file that could improve the plight of Filipino nurses and services of government hospitals.

On a related note, Tulfo asked DOH to submit records showing the list of individuals that were held accountable and are facing charges in court for poor distribution of medicines that are left expired and undistributed in the previous years.

From 2013 to 2021, it can be noted that the amount of wasted medicines because of being expired or nearly expired amounted to around P2 Billion, of which the recipients were supposed to be the impoverished citizens, including, among others, cancer patients and senior citizens.

“I really need to see that record na mayroon pong nakasuhan dahil sa kapabayaan sa trabaho na nagresulta sa pagkasayang ng bilyun-bilyong halaga ng gamot. Kasi po, kailangang malaman ng taumbayan na seryoso po tayo sa ating mga trabaho at seryoso po tayo na ma-prosecute ang mga taong kinasuhan dahil sa kapabayaan sa kanilang tungkulin.

“Kasi kung hanggang press release lang po tayo na mayroong kinasuhan and later on malaman ng taumbayan na balewala din ang kaso na isinampa ng gobyerno, ay parang niloloko lang natin ang mga sarili natin,” he said.

Tulfo added that he is still waiting for DOH records showing that the expired medicines were indeed replaced or refunded, stressing that the department promised to provide him with said records.