The Philippines is doomed: The Healthcare that Diminishes the Poor
When I began my work immersion as a high school intern, I expected to learn mainly about medical practices and workplace dynamics. However, I quickly found myself facing a much deeper issue, the chaos and inequality of the Philippine healthcare system. What I learned was unsettling, especially how the system often fails to provide for the poor, who are the ones who need help the most. The healthcare system is not only inefficient but also unjust, with many Filipinos, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, enduring long waits, neglect, and a lack of resources.
The most immediate issue I noticed was the severe shortage of medical personnel and resources. At the health center I worked at, the number of doctors and nurses was nowhere near enough to accommodate the vast number of patients. Many people had to wait for hours to be seen, and often, there wasn’t enough time to provide proper care. For the elderly and others needing ongoing medication, the bureaucratic process for obtaining treatment was an exhausting and frustrating obstacle. This inefficiency left many Filipinos without access to the care they needed. What made it worse was how political leaders, who could afford private hospitals, continued to ignore these systemic failures, all while taxpayers funded a system that left the most vulnerable behind. Moreover, discrimination against the poor was another disturbing reality I witnessed. Those who could afford private care were treated with priority, while the underprivileged were often treated as an afterthought. They had to endure long waiting times and, in many cases, substandard care simply because they couldn’t pay for better treatment.
Additionally, the workers in these public health centers were underpaid and overworked, doing their best with limited resources but receiving little recognition for their efforts. This made me realize that the healthcare system, in its current state, fails not only the patients but also the very people who work tirelessly to care for them.
In conclusion, my work immersion has opened my eyes to the deep flaws in the Philippine healthcare system. It is a system that fails the poor in terms of accessibility, fairness, and resources. For meaningful change to occur, the system needs reform, one that addresses the needs of all Filipinos, not just the wealthy. It is clear that without substantial improvements, many will continue to suffer in a system that is supposed to help them.
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