What does society owe those who save lives?

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.

The consequences of this neglect are devastating. Burnout rates among Filipino doctors have surged, worsened by heavy workloads and emotional stress. A national study found an alarming number of doctors contemplating early retirement or career shifts due to chronic fatigue and insufficient support. Furthermore, the country’s healthcare brain drain continues, with thousands of doctors and nurses seeking better pay and working conditions abroad. The loss of each skilled healthcare professional compounds our existing shortage— only about 3.6 doctors serve every 10,000 Filipinos, far below global standards — leading to declining healthcare quality nationwide. The impact on Filipino patients is severe, especially in rural and underserved areas. Many remote towns lack a single physician; patients travel hours to reach the nearest medical facility, and preventable deaths become tragically common. Each doctor who migrates or retires early due to burnout leaves a void difficult to fill, weakening our already strained health system further.

To address these urgent issues, society must finally acknowledge and fulfill its obligations to those who save lives. Firstly, doctors must receive fair and dignified compensation. Salaries should reflect their vital societal role, ensuring they can afford decent living conditions, proper healthcare, and secure futures. On-time payment of allowances and benefits is non-negotiable, removing financial stress and allowing healthcare workers to focus solely on patient care.

Secondly, we need robust healthcare protection explicitly tailored for doctors and other healthcare workers. Comprehensive supplemental insurance, beyond PhilHealth’s limitations, would prevent medical professionals from falling into debt due to illness. No healthcare provider should ever face poverty because of their own medical bills.

Thirdly, broader healthcare reforms are necessary, particularly the full implementation of the Universal Health Care Act with increased funding and resources. Strengthening public health facilities and reducing reliance on costly private care benefits everyone, including those who serve on the frontline.

Lastly, addressing burnout requires improving working conditions. Ensuring reasonable patient ratios, sufficient staffing, adequate rest periods, and accessible mental health support must become standard practices. Doctors must no longer endure dangerous workloads that compromise their own health and patient safety.

Doctors are indeed heroes, but they are humans first — vulnerable, dedicated and deserving of care. Five years after the sacrifices they made during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s time we repay our debt in tangible ways. We owe our healthcare providers more than hollow applause and social media tributes. We owe them dignity, fairness and genuine support in their most vulnerable moments.

Society’s obligation is clear: those who dedicate their lives to saving others must never have to sacrifice their own health, security, or dignity. Anything less is not just unjust — it’s an indictment of our priorities as a nation. Let us ensure that those who save lives can also afford to protect their own.