First, do no harm

Medicine Cabinet
Teodoro B. Padilla

THE Latin phrase “Primum non nocere” is often translated as “first, do no harm.” It is similar to the text in the Hippocratic Oath “Noxamvero et maleficum propulsabo,” which means “Also, I will utterly reject harm and mischief.” They are usually applied to physicians who are reminded that a medical intervention might cause possible harm, rather than good, for their patients.

At the moment, however, what causes more harm to patients is the lack of doctors in rural areas. One estimate showed that six out of 10 Filipinos die without ever seeing a doctor and that the country is short of 60,000 doctors.

The government is exerting efforts to make up for the deficit, but one in three slots in the Doctor to the Barrios Program is not filled in by physician applicants. It does not help when doctors deployed in the remote communities fear for their own security. Just a few months ago, two doctors in the barrios were killed in Cotabato City and Lanao del Norte.

The need for more rural doctors is a priority for Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto. As former Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), he foresees the impact of having a young and ever-growing population that must be kept healthy to achieve full social and economic development.

It is projected that the country’s population will grow by about 1.63 million in 2017. By 2020, there will be 109.26 million Filipinos and the number will continue to soar to 120 million in about 10 years.

During his remarks at the “Health for Juan and Juana: Moving Forward with the Philippine Health Agenda” forum at the Asian Development Bank, Mr. Recto said that the Philippines is “adding the population of one Singapore every three years and four months.” He added that in 10 years, the country’s population will also grow by 17.5 million, or the combined population of Denmark, Finland, and Norway.

Consistent with the forum theme “Bringing Health to Juan and Juana: Universal Healthcare in the Communities,” Mr. Recto explained that the “One Town, One Doctor” measure will help ensure that health care will be readily accessible and available at the place and time of need.

The bill proposes a medical scholarship program for students coming from rural towns. When these students become licensed doctors, they will then be required to go back and serve in the specific towns where they come from. This way, the scholars-turned-doctors will be serving the people and specific communities they know well to begin with.

If no one from the town makes it to the free study program, a slot could be allotted to a qualified student coming from another town in the same province. Upon getting the degree, the student will be asked to serve in the town that provided the slot for four years.

The full study funding will cover tuition, travel expenses and living allowances. The projected cost per scholar is P600,000 or P900 million for 1,500 students in a year. The proposed funding sources for the scholarship program are the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corporation (PAGCOR).

For Mr. Recto, the “One Town, One Doctor” proposal is what our “under-medicated society” needs — more doctors who will do no harm.

Medicine Cabinet is a column of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), representing the research-based medicines and vaccines sector in the country. The author is the executive director of PHAP. Mr. Padilla is a cum laude graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines and further acquired a masteral degree from Kellogg School of Management. E-mail the author at [email protected].

Teodoro B. Padilla is a cum laude graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines and further acquired a masteral degree from Kellogg School of Management.