Under the House of Representatives’ version of the universal healthcare bill, health professional graduates of state universities and colleges (SUCs) will be required to render at least two years of service in the country before seeking overseas employment.
House Bill 5784, which aims to reduce the lack of doctors and healthcare professionals in the Philippines, was authored by Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan.
Aside from the bill, Tan also proposed a medical scholarship and return of service program bill, under which the Commission on Higher Education eyes to grant aspirants with a full scholarship for the medical program, and in return, the scholars will render 10 years of service in rural areas.
It was approved by the House on third and final reading on September 6.
The University of the Philippines (UP) Manila currently implements the “return-of-service” contract with its students.
A study by the Philippine Medical Association found that the country has about 130,000 licensed doctors, but only about 54 percent of those, or 70,000, are active in the profession.
Most healthcare professionals opt to leave the country for better opportunities abroad, and the remaining professionals are based in the city, so people in rural areas remain unable to receive medical attention.
Photo credit: Manila Bulletin
Source: GMA News
