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[av_heading heading=’House bill on medical scholarship nears OK ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Wednesday, October 18, 2017
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MANILA – The House of Representatives approved a bill establishing a government-sponsored medical scholarship program as a solution to the shortage of doctors in the country.
House Bill 6571, or the “Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program Act,” mandates the creation of a medical scholarship and return service program for deserving students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) or private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in regions where there are no SUCs offering medicine.
One of the authors, Rep. Angelina Tan (Quezon, 4th District), said the bill seeks to provide the institutional mechanism for the envisioned sustained human resource development of the Philippine public health care system.
“The government acknowledged the reality that we are facing an alarming shortage of medical doctors and other medical professionals,” Tan said. “Medical courses in the country are too costly.”
Worse, some doctors “are taking up nursing and leaving the country for more lucrative jobs overseas,” added Tan, citing a report that the Philippines has a shortage of 60,000 physicians.
Under the bill, the scholarship program shall accept at least one scholar from each town.
The number of scholars per province or town shall depend on the number of government doctors needed for each province or town as determined by the Department of Health.
The scholarship program grants the following financial assistance:
- free tuition and other school fees
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allowance for prescribed books, supplies and equipment
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clothing or uniform allowance
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allowance for dormitory or boardinghouse accommodation
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transportation allowance
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internship fees, including financial assistance during postgraduate internship
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medical board review fees
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annual medical insurance
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other education-related miscellaneous or living allowances
A physician who availed themselves of the program but fails or refuses to serve in a government hospital or any local health office shall be required to pay twice the full cost of the scholarship or denied the renewal of their license at the Professional Regulation Commission./PN
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