(Conclusion)
Adequately providing for the health needs of the marginalized sectors of society is one convincing way to change the mindset of those belonging to the lowest economic stratum; that they also have a stake in the economic success of the country. It’s not only the rich who will benefit when the country prospers, but them too.
The improvement in our tax collection, gross national product and credit ratings can translate to concrete benefits for them, and providing them adequate access to healthcare when they need it should be one of these benefits.
This will convince them to change their mindset; that they couldn’t care less who they elect as officials of the city or the country they live in because only the rich benefit from whatever economic progress the country may have. They will be more selective of their leaders because they would now realize that corruption deprives them of the benefits they’re entitled to.
With their health worries taken care of, they can now focus to be more productive and be more industrious in their work. With our workforce of close to 40 million adult Filipinos in their productive years, it defies the imagination what we can achieve collectively if this workforce is optimally harnessed and their health adequately secured.
The big picture
No matter how humble one’s work is, everyone will get to see the big picture that his/her work together with that of millions of other Filipinos like him or her will help fuel the progress of the nation. Workers will realize they’re not just laying bricks or paving a road or dredging a lake, but they’re also building a nation. They will give their best, knowing that they can also reap dividends later on. And it can all start by taking care of their health needs.
This is how critical achieving a truly meaningful universal healthcare or Kalusugang Pangkalahatan for our nation is. It may have started as a political promise or one of the items in a wish list, but now that much progress has been achieved toward it, the government and the Department of Health (DOH) should give their all for the successful fruition it deserves.
As of December last year, 82 percent of Filipinos are already covered. Doing the same for the remaining 18 percent should be easily doable, especially since the lowest two quintiles of the population (poorest and poorer sectors) have already been secured.
The next step is to make sure that everyone’s PhilHealth membership is solidly backed by enough infrastructure to provide whatever preventive and curative health services are needed.
A PhilHealth card is meaningless unless it can also translate to real meaningful health benefits for its holder, especially when confinement in a hospital or surgery will be needed. It’s heartening to note that facilities are now being improved from the barangay health centers and rural health units or community health centers up to the provincial or regional hospitals.
It’s also noteworthy that although the Philippine General Hospital is technically under the University of the Philippines system, the DOH has agreed to allocate funds for its various programs. PGH is the premier government hospital where all problematic cases are being brought to. Many of our best specialists in the country have also been trained in PGH. It’s sad that the national government cannot provide enough operational funds to sustain it.
Altruistic act
I understand the DOH has generously agreed to share PGH a part of its budget amounting to several billions of pesos in the next few years. I hope these needed funds have already been released.
This altruistic act of the DOH to share its funds with an institution not under it will also highlight that we can achieve more for our country if we can set aside our parochialism. After all, all the government and nongovernmental agencies and institutions in our country should not be competing with each other. They belong only to one team, and that’s Team Philippines.
Although much progress has been achieved toward universal healthcare, the work is yet far from complete. The national government and the DOH will definitely need all the help they can get from others, especially the private sector. Our well-meaning health advocates should have an open mind toward planned public-private partnerships, while not letting their guards down and make sure that the people’s welfare is not compromised. There will always be a happy middle ground wherein both sides can win.
But the bottom line is, a physically, mentally and spiritually healthy nation will always emerge a winner in any contest.