Loan forgiveness is being welcomed like a gift by the hundreds of health care workers who have benefited so far from the state program called H.E.L.P. What sets this gift apart, though, is how beneficiaries of the Hawaii Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program will be giving back.

Over the holiday season, 492 health care workers got the good news that a $30 million state fund, as well as a $5 million private contribution, have covered their student debt.

The payback to the taxpayer is that in a state that desperately needs doctors, nurses and other health care providers, this is an investment that will pay dividends in the public interest.

In addition to keeping more of the needed health professionals in the state’s workforce, workers who get their loans paid off must agree that 30% of patients they treat are those who receive Medicaid or Medicare. That’s huge, as that constituency represents a large proportion of the state population. It’s encouraging to see a government program that enables those on the receiving end to “pay it forward.”

For years after completing schooling, these professionals are still crushed by debt and look with exasperation at the high costs of living in Hawaii. Elsewhere, they could manage these expenses far more easily, and so many have relocated.

That is why the H.E.L.P. initiative should get the help that Gov. Josh Green has requested from the state Legislature. The governor, who’s an emergency room doctor, said he just recently paid off his own medical school tuition loans.

Green is the only practicing physician among the chief executives of 50 states, which underlies his stated ambition to make Hawaii the “Health State.” He is continuing that pursuit this legislative session, announcing his intent to seek additional funds in his supplemental budget request.

The circumstances make this argument persuasive. Green noted that Hawaii’s ongoing shortage in trained personnel to provide mental health services was made even more acute in August with the traumatic wildfires on Maui, leaving many families in need.

He is right. There is an urgent call for mental health services, whether linked to homelessness, substance abuse or other conditions.

Government has a clear duty to step into this issue, of course, but the private sector has its place here, too.

An example: In releasing the H.E.L.P. report in December, Green acknowledged the $5 million donation from Lynn and Marc Benioff, Hawaii island residents. Their gift was to cover student loans for Big Island health care workers specifically. Marc Benioff is co-founder, chairman and CEO of Salesforce, and owns Time magazine.

It is gratifying to see such commitment to Hawaii’s community needs from residents generous with their own resources. Green said he would reach out to more potential donors, so that the full burden doesn’t land on the state’s public tax base.

It’s clear why so many in this field especially are motivated to pull up stakes and move. But it’s instructive to learn the particular experiences of individuals affected.

Nurse practitioner Drizza Tabisola-Nuesca is one who struggled to pay off her remaining debt of $50,000. She frequently scanned job listings on the mainland. She and her husband, a construction superintendent, sold their home just to keep up with the bills.

The islands could reap further gains if H.E.L.P. grows and draws the next generation of providers here to study and work.

If Hawaii wants to build its reputation as a health state, the providers of care have to have a reason to stay.