PHM-Exch> Hundreds of hospitals closed due to lack of health personnel Philippines

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: CHD ManCom chdmancom at gmail.com

Hundreds of hospitals closed due to lack of health personnel

In the midst of the exodus of health professionals and the lack of health
workers in the rural areas, the government continues to allow the illegal
detention of 43 health workers in Camp Capinpin, Tanay, Rizal.  These health
workers have chosen to dedicate their lives and careers to serve the
underprivileged in most far-flung villages while they can be better-off
practicing their professions in private and state-of-the art hospitals in
the cities.  Sadly though, the Court of Appeals decided to legalize the
unlawful arrests made by the military by adhering to the Ilagan v Enrile
document – a notorious Martial Law doctrine.


“Is Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo aware that while she decorates her generals
involved in this unlawful arrest, 200 hospitals have shut down and 800 are
partially closed because of lack of health personnel in the countryside?  Is
she fully aware of the role of Community Health Workers in far-flung
villages that have no access to government services? Because Mrs. Arroyo is
so busy exploring every nook and cranny of the law to get emergency powers,
we believe she chose to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to all the
injustices that her military has done to the noble health workers serving
government-neglected *barangays*,” Council for Health and Development
Executive Director Dr. Eleanor A. Jara said.

 In a country that suffers from a severe brain-drain due to the migration of
health professionals for greener pastures abroad, it is indeed ironic for a
government to allow the persecution of health workers instead of protecting
them to encourage more health professionals to serve the *barrios*,” Dr.
Jara lamented.


In conclusion, Dr. Jara challenged the Department of Health through its
Secretary to act on her capacity to seek justice for the 43 and ensure the
protection of all health workers especially those serving in the country
side so as to break the chilling effect that the unlawful arrests have
brought to the health community.
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