Manila Bulletin
Angara urges gov't to look into PH's ability to meet health care needs of senior citizens
Angara urges gov't to look into PH's ability to meet health care needs of senior citizens
Angara urges gov't to look into PH's ability to meet health care needs of senior citizens
Published Jan 28, 2019 05:48 pm
By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara has called on the government to look into the country’s ability to meet the healthcare needs of its senior citizens, noting that there are not enough health workers specializing in geriatric medicine in the Philippines.
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara
(Sonny Angara Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) Angara said he is alarmed over the lack of professionals specializing in the care of elderly in the country, saying the government now seems to be facing a serious shortage of geriatricians or medical doctors who are specially trained to evaluate and manage the unique healthcare needs and treatment preferences of older people. The senator said a report from Retirement and Healthcare Coalition showed there were only 140 geriatric doctors operating in the country, and without specialized geriatric nurses. Out of 140 or so geriatric doctors across the country, about half do not have actual clinic or hospital experience, largely due to lack of facilities where health professionals can train for this specialty, the lawmaker further noted. “Assuming that there are around 8 million senior citizens in the country, a geriatric doctor is tasked to cater to the varied and immediate needs of around 57,000 elderlies,” Angara said. “This means that if they wanted to attend to everyone, a doctor will have to see around 150 senior citizen patients for 365 days straight,” he pointed out. In the Philippines, Angara said only St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) has a dedicated Geriatric Center but “quite frankly, hospitals like SLMC are not the kind of facility that the elderly in the marginal sector could easily access.” Angara said this situation bolsters the need to strengthen the competency of the state-run National Center for Geriatric Health (NCGH). The NCGH is the country’s first center for aged care, which was established in 2010 as a training and research facility for geriatric medicine and gerontology. Angara said the proposal to institutionalize the Philippine Institute of Aging, should be pursued in order to improve research related to older Filipinos to promote their welfare and needs. According to the senator, it was his father, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara, who initiated the measure. “There needs to be a venue where our geriatricians can hone their skills,” he stressed.
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara(Sonny Angara Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) Angara said he is alarmed over the lack of professionals specializing in the care of elderly in the country, saying the government now seems to be facing a serious shortage of geriatricians or medical doctors who are specially trained to evaluate and manage the unique healthcare needs and treatment preferences of older people. The senator said a report from Retirement and Healthcare Coalition showed there were only 140 geriatric doctors operating in the country, and without specialized geriatric nurses. Out of 140 or so geriatric doctors across the country, about half do not have actual clinic or hospital experience, largely due to lack of facilities where health professionals can train for this specialty, the lawmaker further noted. “Assuming that there are around 8 million senior citizens in the country, a geriatric doctor is tasked to cater to the varied and immediate needs of around 57,000 elderlies,” Angara said. “This means that if they wanted to attend to everyone, a doctor will have to see around 150 senior citizen patients for 365 days straight,” he pointed out. In the Philippines, Angara said only St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) has a dedicated Geriatric Center but “quite frankly, hospitals like SLMC are not the kind of facility that the elderly in the marginal sector could easily access.” Angara said this situation bolsters the need to strengthen the competency of the state-run National Center for Geriatric Health (NCGH). The NCGH is the country’s first center for aged care, which was established in 2010 as a training and research facility for geriatric medicine and gerontology. Angara said the proposal to institutionalize the Philippine Institute of Aging, should be pursued in order to improve research related to older Filipinos to promote their welfare and needs. According to the senator, it was his father, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara, who initiated the measure. “There needs to be a venue where our geriatricians can hone their skills,” he stressed.