Last week, a post presumably made by a nurse working in a government hospital made the rounds of the social media accounts of health workers.
Saying that “nursing is inherently political,” the public servant then laid out two exhibits: that the appointment of healthcare workers depends on the recommendation of politicians; and, that the quality of health care and nursing education is affected by national/local policies and funding.
She then proceeds to cite the case of the poor who have no money to pay treatment at private hospitals if they are denied admission at government facilities due to lack of medicines, equipment and doctors.
Corrupt politicians, she stressed, steal from the poor and the underprivileged.
“They rob them of their basic rights to education, health, financial literacy, freedom and a decent life,” the netizen pointed out. “Nagnakaw ng mangga at tinapa, nakulong. Nagnakaw sa kaban ng bayan, nare-elect.”
In expressing her intention to “makialam” on behalf of those who have none in life, she subtly encourages all to do the same.
Her Exhibit A need not be verified: LGU chief executives have the power to appoint anybody as long as he or she us qualified.
There have been instances that the correct, highly qualified appointee got the post, but these are few and far between.
More often than not, politics dictate the choice of who gets to serve the public.
Exhibit B will apply to the Eastern Bicol Medical Center, now on its 11th year of experimentation with the eco-enterprise with its delayed salaries and inadequate funding for medicines, and the six district hospitals.
The long-running saga of complaints at EBMC makes you wonder if the provincial hospital would somehow get the required funding and personnel this 2022.
After all, the Supreme Court’s Mandanas ruling has brought in extra funding from national taxes for the provincial government.
That is, if our current leaders do the right thing.