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Netizen shares the difficulties of being a doctor in an impoverished community in the Philippines

“You finally finished writing what meds to start to treat the sick family. Yet you still struggle to find answers for this sick nation,” the netizen, Leornard Javier, wrote in his tweet.

  • A Twitter user shared his frustration about the current health situation in the country.
  • The Department of Health received an almost Php10 billion budget cut for 2020.
  • This could lead to 10,000 health workers losing their jobs.

A doctor expressed his frustrations on Twitter about being put into situations that he has no control over, therefore limiting him as to what he can or cannot do.

It started off with a mother entering the emergency room with her three children—two toddlers and an infant. The nurse told them that the outpatient department was closed on Sundays, but the infant seemed to be in distress, so the doctor checked on him.

He then found out that all of them had pneumonia, and there’s another child on the way. The mother was due to give birth the following week.

The newbie doctor finally wrote prescriptions for the family, but that was not enough. “You finally finished writing what meds to start to treat the sick family. Yet you still struggle to find answers for this sick nation,” the netizen, Leornard Javier, wrote in his tweet. Aside from serving as a doctor and medical officer IV in Ragay District Hospital, Camarines Sur, the netizen is also a Health Alliance for Democracy member, fighting for #HealthForAll.

Then the doctor became frustrated with all his privileges. “For all the privilege afforded to you, how can you not have any power to change this mess? You step back, you have your limits. You are not alone. You are doing your best,”

The third frustration was directed to the government and the system.

Then he made a suggestion to everyone who got the chance to read his thread.

“You can opt to dwell on daily petty nonsense or at least devote some time to know more and join the underserved’s struggles. I hope I choose the latter. I hope we do.”

In one of his follow up tweets, Leonard mentioned the decreased budget of the health department.

The Department of Health has proposed 2020 budget of Php160.15 billion. This is almost Php10 billion lower than 2019’s allocation. According to Senator Ralph Recto, this can lead to over 10,000 health workers losing their jobs. It includes 7,107 nurses, 202 dentists, and 597 medical technologists. All could be jobless in 2020.

Written by J M

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