It's A Thankless Job

Philippine General Hospital

When a child is asked what he'll be when he grows up, oftentimes the reply is "a doctor, because I like to help people"!  Sabi nga nila gasgas na ang sagot na 'yan.  There are those who say they want to get rich.  It's more than a job, it's a vocation.  Although some may become rich, it's usually a thankless job.  Try practicing in the barrios and experience a negative income.

Perhaps everybody knows Mon Tulfo.  Something transpired recently when his driver ran over a kid, and rushing to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), a long way from where the accident happened.  What he later did enraged the PGH community and the health sector in general.  A popular listing website, 8list.ph provides eight reasons why this misadventure was mind-blowingly reckless and dangerous not just to doctors and nurses, but also to patients in health facilities:

1. He has zero idea what the protocol in hospitals is
2. He could have brought the kid to a nearer hospital
3. He has no idea what medical practitioners go through
4. He ignores the Data Privacy Act flagrantly
5. He is complaining about people doing their job
6. He was making life harder for everyone in the hospital—including the other patients
7. His tirade reinforces misconceptions about the Philippine health care system
8. He’s barking up the wrong tree

In this instance, Mr. Tulfo squanders his opportunity to investigate why one of the busiest hospitals in the entire country is forced to not operate at full capacity.  The PGH administration is saying that he didn't spend a centavo for his patient.

I have an idea of what's happening in PGH because I stayed there for 8 years from 1986 to 1994, inclusive of medicine, internship and residency.  It's like going through the eye of a needle.  I'm quoting here the posting of Merce, a classmate of mine, from social media.  It's perhaps an encapsulation of what we endured years back.

To whom it may concern,

When I was a student, even more so when I was a resident [physician], the ratio of patients to health providers was almost impossible to understand pero kinakaya namin.  Bakit?  Kasi kailangan.  Hindi naman kaya ng gobyernong tustusan ang lahat ng kailangan ng pasyente kaya madalas kahit tipid na tipid kami sa sarili naming budget, kami na mismo ang bumibili ng gamot ng pasyente para mairaos na lang, para gumaling na, umuwi na, at mailibre na ang kama para sa mga nakapila pang pasyente sa ER at sa corridors.  Minsan, sa kakulangan ng tulog at pahinga, at sa stress na rin dahil di lang naman physical na trabaho ang aatupagin namin—may mga lecture, exam, revalida at mga personal na mga problemang hinaharap ang mga taong nasa PGH—umiiksi din ang pasensiya at napapagod din kami.  Pero sa pangkalahatan, bago kami matapos ng training, butas ng karayom at grabeng gastos ang dadaanan namin, hangga't kaya ay tinitiis namin at trina-try namin magpasensiya at magtiyaga.  Di pa nga libre ang tuition noon.  Libro xerox at mga kagamitang kailangan namin bilhin, pangkain, pamasahe, pang dorm, etc.  Di naman po lahat ng nagmemedisina ay anak mayaman at sustentado ng magulang.

Tulfo, wala kang karapatang mambastos ng kahit sinong tao lalo na kung ikaw na nga ang may kailangan e ikaw pa mayabang.  Kung talagang laban ka sa corruption... 'di ba parang corruption din na magexpect ka ng special treatment dahil feeling mo mas importante ka kesa sa mga nauna o mas malubhang pasyente kesa sa nabangga mo.  Mayaman ka di ba? E bakit isiniksik mo pa ang pambayad kasalanan ng pagkabangga niyo sa bata sa isang charity hospital?  Balita ko ang dami niyong nilagpasan na maayos na ospital papunta sa PGH mula sa pinangyarihan ng aksidente.

Nagmamagaling ka e sana subukan mo magtrabaho kahit isang buwan lang sa ER.  Bago ka humusga at ilantad ang kawalan mo ng totoong pagmamalasakit.  Pakigoogle ang definition ng megalomania.  'Di po umiikot ang mundo sa inyo.  Sa ER ng PGH halos wala na kaming oras para sa ibang mundo.

Sayang akala ko pa naman noon buti na lang may mga Tulfo na matapang magsalita tungkol sa mga maling pamamalakad at gawain.  Sa isang iglap nawala credibilidad niyo.

Sana huwag ka magkasakit para di ka mangailangan ng magaling na doktor na tutulong sa yo.  Pero huwag ka mag-alala.  'Di ka man type na tao ng doktor mo, di kami namimili ng tinutulungan.  Isinumpa namin to sa Hippocratic Oath na bilang manggagamot, kami'y nanunumpa sa kabila ng likas naming kahinaan... lungsod man o kanayunan... basta nangangailangan sila.

Respectfully yours,

Isang dating estudyante, intern at residente sa PGH

When we deal with the poor people in the barrios, the government's health care is practically non-existent.  In large sectors of the population, people die without seeing a doctor.  Recently, President Duterte started to subsidize PGH and many public hospitals to help the indigent patients.  That's good, but the entire system has to be upgraded.  It takes time, but it has to move forward.

"The righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?  And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?  And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’" (Mt 25:37-40 RSVCE)