Browsing by Author "Joson, Jobelle Rea B."

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    Medical tourism and its impacts on health care labor sector: a solution to the brain drain poblem
    (2007-04-10) Gatchalian, Myrella Lauren C.; Joson, Jobelle Rea B.; Arcenas, Agustin
    The Philippines is one of the world's largest exporters of healthcare workers. Many Filipinos particularly our health care professionals are migrating to other countries for better opportunities and income. Consequently, it is expected that our country might not have enough nurses and doctors to sustain its own healthcare industry, specifically the medical tourism industry. Medical Tourism has been an emerging industry now in the Philippines. The Department of Health reported that the Philippines earned an estimated $200 million in 2006 from foreign patients seeking cheap medical services. This study has been conducted in view of the situation above. The focus of this research is to determine if medical tourism can address the brain drain problem of the country. The researchers used supply and demand analysis to determine the impact of medical tourism on the supply of health care professionals through an increase in demand. A survey was also conducted to find out the importance of non-wage factors to future nurses; and to estimate the salary they are willing to accept both in the Philippines and abroad. Given the results of the survey and impacts of medical tourism, a simple model of migration condition was used to identify if health care professionals would migrate or not. Based on the results, it was verified that the supply of health care professionals increased due to increase in wages brought about by increase in demand for health care services as a result of medical tourism. The floor price of health care professionals to stay in the Philippines is estimated to range from Php20,000-30,000. Economic growth and better resources in the health care sector - prompted by medical tourism - also contributes to the increase in the supply of health care professionals.