INTRODUCTION PART II - STARTING ON THE WRONG FOOT

The other day, I watched very painfully on TV a Usec of the Department of Health very excitedly talking about medical tourism. So, this is where the ball field is! The poor fellow was talking about:

• Publishing the records of the doctors. What!? You don't publish the records of lawyers, engineers, architects, teachers, nurses, merchant marines, accountants, etc. Do you?
• Going to the hospitals and clinic in Manila to talk them into joining the program. Hello! It's going on here in Cebu as you are talking about planning there.
• Accrediting doctors for international standards. You are going to accredit me? Who the heck are you? Do you know what international standards are? Ask me and I will tell you.
• Bringing the earning of doctors and nurses up to US standards so they do not leave the country anymore. Wrong! The whole point is giving the service for a fraction of the fee in the US. Meaning you earn a fraction of what US doctors and nurses earn.
• Thailand is not a player anymore in medical tourism because Phuket was wiped out by the tsunami. And, our coral environment is more biodiverse. Wrong! And wrong! Thailand is the biggest player in medical tourism. And, our reefs, being 90% damaged (by us) is a fraction of the biodiversity in the Phuket area despite the tsunami.

...abangan