Some healthcare workers support creation of Medical Reserve Corps to address public health emergencies

Several doctors and health groups have expressed support for the creation of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) that would oversee public health emergencies, but a thorough consultation is needed, according to Mariz Umali’s “24 Oras” report on Thursday.

Last March, the House of Representatives approved on second reading the proposal to organize the MRC, which aims to support the country's health system in times of public health emergencies.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. included the creation of the Corps among the bills that will be prioritized by his administration during his first State of the Nation Address.

“Hindi lahatan, dapat volunteer. Hindi yung pipilitin, di ba?” Dr. Benito Atienza, former president of the Philippine Medical Association, said.

(Not all, it must be on a volunteer basis. Membership should not be forced.)

“Ano yung mga incentive? Para mas dumami, di ba? Hindi naman yung nagvolunteer ka eh, paano kung may mangyari sa iyo? Pwede kang mahawa, pwede kang mamatay, di ba? Ano naman gagawin dun?” Atienza added.

(What are the incentives? It is not like you just volunteer. What if something happens to you? You can get infected, you can die, right? What will they do with that?)

“Sana may tax deduction, ganun o kaya pag ganyan may specific kung may mangyari sa doctor, may mangyari sa health professional, ano yung gagawin di ba?” he furthered.

(I hope there is a tax deduction, like that or something specific if something happens to a doctor, something happens to a health professional, what will be done, right?)

The Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) approves of the proposal but questioned the provision regarding the reimbursement of expenses.

One of the provisions in which the medical reservist will be reimbursed for the expenses that should be shouldered by the government when unable to respond to the deployment.

“Titignan din po natin kung paano maproprotektahan ang ating mga healthcare workers on how they will attend to these very risky situations,” said Melvin Miranda, national president of Philippine Nurses Association Inc.

(We should look at how they will protect healthcare workers and how they will attend to very risky situations.)

“Kung yung sweldo ba will be sufficient to support din naman yung risk that the Medical Reserve Corps will attend to,” he said.

(If their salary will be sufficient to support the risk that the medical reserve corps will attend to.)

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are six medical doctors per 10,000 population in the Philippines in 2017. This is lower than the recommended ratio of 10 doctors per 10,000 population.

At present, there is a shortage of 290,000 healthcare workers in the country, based on human resource per health network.

Meanwhile, as many as 13,000 healthcare professionals leaving the country every year.

Under the bill, the President may also order the nationwide mobilization of the MRC to complement the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Corps in case of declaration of state of war, state of lawless violence, or state of calamity.

On the other hand, the Department of Health may also suggest to the President the enlistment of the AFP to supplement the mobilized MRC for the purpose of providing logistics and manpower for large-scale operations during public health emergencies. -- Richa Noriega/BAP, GMA News