Discussion No.

If you are the decision-maker in the Philippines, should you allow using the sending of
nurses abroad as one of the bargaining chips in the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccines?

Every nation in the globe has suffered as a result of the covid 19 pandemic. Fortunately,
thanks to advanced technology and existing vaccination research, vaccines were created
immediately. In the Philippines, I believe the government handled the outbreak poorly. The
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) struck a deal with the United Kingdom and
Germany; In return for vaccinations, they proposed the deployment of Filipino nurses and other
health care professionals. This revoked a blanket restriction on exiting health workers imposed
on 2020. This plan however was criticized by senators and the secretary of Filipino Nurses
United, who are outraged at the way nurses and other health care workers are regarded as
commodities or export products. Meanwhile, DOLE stressed that the idea was intended to
safeguard the safety of nurses sent overseas. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, refuses
the offer, citing nurse recruitment and vaccination distribution as separate issues.

According to Pacaol et al. (2021) on an article published in Oxford Journal, although the
government sought to protect the country's health workers, the choice seems to be ill-advised
and should be reconsidered in light of the two subsequent features that are inextricably related
and represent Kantian principles. The author has given this question: In the case of a
pandemic, the idea of respect and public interest raises a lot of moral questions: Is it acceptable
not to pay attention to people's natural traits in order to protect the general population?

In addition, Cordero (2021) reinforced this idea in his work, which was published in the
same Journal, by using a Christian Ethics viewpoint. He wrote, “It is important to note that
circumstances cannot change the moral quality of acts themselves. In this issue, the ‘object’,
which is sending nurses in exchange for vaccines, is simply an evil act regardless of the
goodness of its ‘end’, which is receiving million doses of vaccines” .

Given the above, if I were a Philippine government official or decision-maker, I would

vehemently oppose this concept and would never propose it. First and foremost, the concept
demonstrates the Philippines' ultimate desperation. Second, it demonstrates how ignorant the
administration was about the unwavering sacrifices of health-care workers throughout the
Pandemic. Finally, it demonstrates how unprepared the official is in dealing with an emergency
situation. Although, the government's reasoning seems to be compelling, it directly disregards
the dignity of professionals who need to be respected. Our country has long been known as the
country with the explicit nurse export policy and as the world's leading donor of nurses (Brush &
Sochalski , 2007). While this is correct, as a nurse working overseas, I find it highly offensive
that nurses are being used as a negotiating tool in the procurement of covid 19 vaccinations. It
merely demonstrates how inept the Covid 19 Task Force in the Philippines is. Their decision-
making lacks competence, which leads them to make such a remark. There are various
approaches to resolving a problem. Solutions that are not carefully considered may bring harm
or disrespect to others. Rather than enabling nurses to travel overseas, the government should
address inadequacies in our own health sector, such as inadequate remuneration and benefits,
in order to encourage and motivate them to stay in the country. Buying vaccines in exchange for
the deployment of nurses is both unethical and indicative of desperation. This desperation may
have been prevented if more planning had been done.

References

(DOLE, D. o. (2021, February 24). Drilon hits DOLE's 'nurses for vaccines' policy. (f. Drilon,

Interviewer)

Brush, B., & Sochalski , J. (2007, March). International Nurse Migration: Lessons From the

Philippines. Retrieved from PubMed: DOI:10.1177/1527154407301393

Cordero, Jr, D. A. (2021, September). ‘Nurses for vaccines?’: understanding an immoral

proposal from the perspective of Christian ethics. Journal of Public Health, 43(3), Pages

e511–e512.

Niñoval F Pacaol, J. M. (2021, June). ‘They are not means to everyone’s ends’: a Kantian

outlook to Philippine nurses and COVID-19 vaccines exchange proposal,. Journal of

Public Health, 43(2), Pages e373–e374.