The Ateneo de Davao University thru its Ateneo Migration Center is currently engaged in a research partnership with the Linköping University. The research aims to compare the health labor mobility in three countries: the Philippines, Sweden, and Indonesia by exploring various perspectives and interdisciplinary approach in dealing with the issue of labor mobility in the healthcare sector from the dimensions of applied ethics, development studies, and educational research.
The preliminary activity in the form of a Roundtable Discussion (RTD) was conducted last February 3, 2018, at Pakighinabi Room, 3rd Floor Community Center of the First Companions with the theme: “A Global Crisis in Health: Perspectives from Indonesia, Philippines, and Sweden.”
The recently concluded RTD covered topics on: ”Push and Pull Factors of Migration”, ”Filipino Health Emigrants Challenges and Opportunities”, “Migration and Health”, “Global Nurse Migration”, “Health without Care? Vulnerability, Medical Brain Drain, and Health Worker Responsibilities in Underserved Contexts”, and “Recruitment of Foreign Physicians to Swedish Health Care”. The participants and speakers came from the various sectors/ institutions. The representations are from AdDU Faculty, Health Care Practitioners and Researchers from the Department of Health, UGAT Foundation-AdMU, Davao Medical School Foundation, Brokenshire College of Davao, Southern Philippines Medical Center, City Health Office, Wimler Foundation, Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions, Inc, and Scalabrini Research Center.
A similar RTD is envisioned to be conducted in Sweden and Indonesia to thoroughly look into fruitful comparisons in developed and developing countries by evaluating prospects for global resource sharing and health governance.
Mr. Jose Maria Tomacruz (faculty member of the Department of Philosophy currently taking Doctoral Studies at Linköping University) initiated the forging of a partnership between the mentioned University and AdDU. The latter, through Lourdesita S. Chan, URC Chair, and Prof. Mildred M. Estanda, a faculty of the Economics Department and former Director of the Ateneo Migration Center (AMC), responded favorably to the invitation. Ms. Sheryl R. Lopez, incumbent Director of AMC eventually supported the implementation of the project currently lodged at the Center.