By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
The American dream
In my eleven days of stay at a certain hospital recently, I met young nurses and nursing assistants who became close to my heart. I came to know their life stories: sad and joyful. They are young and very competent but they have a common goal: to pursue the American dream.
I know them by their first names: Agot, Belle, Zyke, Ellaine G., Ellaine P. Another group was composed of Yako, Clint, Michael, and Bernaldez – the guy who leads the ICU team. There was Ann, alternating as a nurse and a tourist guide. There was Karen, Jo Caballo’s niece. When Karen was on duty, I felt Jo, my friend, was there for me. One young nurse from Loon, whose name escaped my memory, has his face indelibly imprinted in my mind. You know why? I thought he was Dr. Osting Roa, the Rural Health doctor of Baclayon. He was there when I woke up and when my tube was taken. There was sadness in his eyes.
He told me his sad story. His mother has stage 4 cancer. His father is a seaman and his sister is reviewing for the nurse’s exam. He is resigning from his job to take care of his mother. He stays alone with her dogs, while his mother was at Chong Hua Hospital.
These young competent nurses with so much compassion for their patients, dedicated and all, are just making their hospital work to gain experience – a requirement to complete enough credentials to work abroad. They want to save money for their NCLEX and fare. But savings are almost impossible for compensation of nurses in the Philippines is not that much. Hence, their American Dream. It is deplorable to realize that while these young nurses are tightening their budget to the last hole of their belts, we see glaring allegations of corruption in our country. Dili na tingali ma kwenta sa calculator and mga kwarta nga nakawat gikan sa flood control projects. How about from the other projects? Mga maayo atong nurses apan mapugos sila ug langyaw sa ubang nasud aron mangita ug dugang nga tingusbawan,
I want to express at this juncture my thanks to the team at the ICU – young nurses committed to the oath of Florence Nightingale and trying their best to give their BEST. My heart goes to the different patients who have to go to the different agencies, almost kneeling in front of the bosses and politicians just so they can add a certain amount to pay for the hospital bills. Politicians are making us mendicants for taxes we have paid. And yet they are leeching us the taxpayers.
Oh Philippines, my Philippines!
