Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Filipino Med Schools Make Prime Time



The season premier of "Desperate Housewives" takes a jab at Filipino med schools.

View the scene here:

Here's a Fox News story in response to the resulting uproar amongst Filipinos:



And finally an article that touches on the reality of the health care industry in the Philippines: click here


Some facts:
1) The Philippines produces almost 150,000 nursing graduates every year.
2) According to the Department of Health, only 2,000 of them are being absorbed into the local economy.
3) Higher wages abroad fuel demand to leave the Philippines.
4) Couple higher wages with a lack of jobs in the local health care industry and there is almost no reason to be a Filipino nurse and not leave the country.

Should this be taken as a joke and simply laughed off or is the uproar justified and a formal apology the least ABC could do? I leave that for you to decide.

I will say that it is not unexpected or unjustified for Filipino migrant workers to take this personally since the majority of them spend a lot of time, money and effort to be able to go abroad, leave their families and friends and work in a foreign country with rarely a chance to visit home. It is a rough, uncertain road for migrant workers that can all too often end in some form of exploitation or even human trafficking.

But then again the name of the program is Desperate Housewives, how much can you expect from a show with a title like that?

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:38 AM

    walang pera dito sa Pilipinas, thats why we are leaving our country despite the loneliness in our hearts. I have to say, we still have one of the best, competitive , tried and tested medical education. becAUSE we are not compensated enough, thats why we go out for greener pasture.

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  2. Anonymous3:44 AM

    correct ka dyan vian, I am one of the best doctor here you know. we go abroad to earn enough, so that our family will have a good life. eventhough we serve not our countrymen we give our best to our patients without descrimination of race. America should be thankful that many of our best health workers are working in their country.

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