Five years ago, on 15 March 2020, the Philippines locked down due to Covid-19, and healthcare workers were hailed as heroes. Yet today, a painful irony persists: many Filipino doctors — those who have dedicated their lives to saving others — struggle to afford their own medical care.

Recently, several respected colleagues, mentors and former students — established physicians with decades of experience — have faced serious illnesses requiring expensive treatments. Shockingly, they now grapple with overwhelming medical bills. Imagine the heartbreak: a surgeon who once saved countless lives is now forced to sell personal assets or seek financial aid to save her own. This cruel paradox isn’t rare; it reflects a deeply rooted problem in our healthcare system.

We expect doctors to heal, often forgetting they’re vulnerable humans, too. Filipino physicians, despite their training and years of dedication, frequently face inadequate compensation and protection, leaving them financially exposed when illness strikes.

Nationally, out-of-pocket medical costs account for around 56 percent of health expenditures, burdening even medical professionals with unmanageable debts during personal health crises. PhilHealth coverage, though universal in theory, often falls short of covering real-world medical expenses. Take the example of Covid-19. A severe infection requiring hospitalization can easily cost over P170,000. For a doctor working in a government hospital earning around ₱P50,000 monthly, this expense is devastating.

Private health insurance remains costly, and many healthcare providers —- especially those supporting families or still repaying educational loan — simply cannot afford comprehensive coverage. Thus, doctors themselves delay medical treatments, skip critical diagnostics, or ration medications, ironically mirroring behaviors they advise patients against.

The tragic stories abound: a respected medical professor crowdfunding for dialysis, an obstetrician working through chemotherapy to afford treatments, a young surgeon shocked by limited insurance coverage when diagnosed with a chronic condition.

Behind closed doors, many Filipino doctors quietly endure the same financial hardships their patients face daily. These problems reflect broader systemic failures in our healthcare landscape. Despite intense training and tremendous responsibility, doctors in the Philippines remain significantly underpaid compared to regional counterparts. Resident doctors can earn as little as P18,000 per month, while even senior specialists in private practice struggle with irregular income and rising overhead expenses. Adding insult to injury, frontline health workers still wait months or years for promised hazard pay or risk allowances, funds desperately needed when medical emergencies hit home.