Do a search at http://www.npr.org for a recent ATC or Morning Edition story on Filipino nurses and emigration. And check out the California Nurses Association website. Giulana Milanese of CoC/CCDS and Michael Lighty from DSA are both great organizers for CNA. We kid Giulana at meetings of the SF Progressive Alliance...call her, "Mayor Giulani." Michael Pugliese
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken Hanly" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2002 12:18 PM Subject: [PEN-L:21967] Re: Re: Re: Re: Nurse-to-patient staffing minimums are a reform victory > Our local city hospital in Brandon has 7 Phillipino nurses just arrived and > at least 3 more are coming. It certainly helps relieve the nursing shortage > but unless Manitoba matches or comes close to matching salary levels in > other provinces and the US, and/or improves working conditions substantially > the shortage will continue. > I imagine climate shock rather than culture shock will be the biggest > hurdle for the Philippinos. There are already a number of Philippino > families in the city. However, with windchills approaching minus 40 F or C > the last few days, it may be a bit difficult to adjust! > > Cheers, Ken Hanly > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rakesh Bhandari" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2002 10:02 PM > Subject: [PEN-L:21952] Re: Re: Re: Nurse-to-patient staffing minimums are a > reform victory > > > > Michael wrote: > > > > >The brain drain, such as the nurses from Philippines, might provide > > >remittances to needy people back home, but the country would do better to > > >find productive domestic employment for their trained personnel. > > > > Yes but when the average doctor in third world probably does not make > > more than $500/mo--which is about 1/20th what could be made in the > > US?--it's going to be difficult to encourage professionals to stay at > > home when high income societies can in fact afford (and have > > effective demand for) more professionals than they are themselves > > producing--it's not clear to me that immigrants have taken away jobs > > from native born Americans. Kenya for example is being routed of its > > doctors I believe. But then Spain is sending nurses to the UK; > > Hungary doctors to Norway, I believe. > > > > There is also the possibility that if there wasn't the prospect of > > emigrating to a high income country, there would be many fewer people > > who would train themselves to be doctors, engineers and nurses. That > > is, the requirement that professionals stay at home may decrease > > their supply? I don't know. I am just guessing? But I wouldn't rule > > it out. My doctor uncle in India works six day weeks, 10 hour days > > for what I would imagine is not more than 1/10th what he could have > > made in the US. > > > > I do remember reading an analysis about five years ago about the > > Korean and Philippine states may have allowed for there to be an > > oversupply of nurses, hoping that those who emigrated would send back > > hard currency which after all is needed to buy things like good > > medical equipment. > > > > So if we take this option away, how else is hard currency to be earned? > > > > And as long as there is emigration of professionals to high income > > countries, shouldn't there be some payment for the so called human > > capital they embody? It would also help if IPR regimes were lax, and > > the IMF did not require medical services to be cut! On that I am sure > > we are all agreed. > > > > > > > > > > > In my > > >hometown, the good number of the doctors are from India and the > > >Philippines. I cannot believe that they have a surplus of good medical > > >care. > > > > No but they are low income countries. And it's not clear that there > > is a shortage of professionals vis a vis the demand that is generated > > in a low income country. So if there is going to be an overflow, I > > think there should be talk of some compensation mechanism. I > > seriously doubt that the remittances that flow back are sufficient to > > cover the costs that went into the education of emigrant professionals > > > > > > > > > Cuba can afford to export doctors, given its surplus, but it is > > >unique. > > > > yes. > > > > rakesh > > >
