The toll that the COVID‐19 pandemic has taken on the country’s human resources for health (HRH) reminds us of the impact of the continuing migration of doctors, nurses, and other health care personnel to developed countries. Figures from the Professional Regulations Commission show that out of 84,783 licensed Filipino physicians, only 28,428 are actually practicing in the country.65 Dela Rosa, R. (2020, May 13). Sponsorship Speech, Committee Report 86, Senate Bill No. 1520. Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved May 18, 2020, from http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2020/0513_delarosa1.asp
And while the country licensed an average of 26,000 nurses from 2012 to 2016, there were around 18,500 who moved abroad each year.66 Bloomberg. (2020, April 25). PH, Supplier of World’s Nurses, Struggles to Fight COVID‐19 at Home. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://mb.com.ph/2020/04/25/ph‐supplier‐of‐worlds‐nurses‐struggles‐to‐fight‐covid‐19‐at‐home/
There is an estimated shortage of 23,000 nurses nationwide and yet there are approximately 150,000 Filipino nurses working in the United States.67 Ibid.
According to Michael Obrigo and Danica Ortiz, researchers from the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, “less than 25 percent of cities and municipalities have HHR (human health resource) density above the 41 physicians, nurses and midwives per 10,000 population recommended by the WHO [in 2016].”68 Macaraeg, P. (2020, March 28). About 75% of Cities, Towns in Philippines Lack Health Workers. Rappler. Retrieved July 27, 2020, from https://rappler.com/nation/about‐75‐pecent‐cities‐towns‐philippines‐lack‐health‐workers‐pids
According to 2017 statistics, among the 17 regions of the country, the number of doctors ranged from 10.6 to 0.9 (average of 3.9), the number of nurses ranged from 15.8 to 4.2 (average of 8.6), and the number of midwives ranged from 9.9 to 2.3 (average of 4.1) per 10,000 population.69 Dayrit, M.M., et al. (2018). The Philippines Health System Review Health Systems in Transition Vol. 8 No. 2 2018. New Delhi: World Health Organization, Regional Office for South‐East Asia. Retrieved April 24, 2020, from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/274579/9789290226734‐eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y