Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Dr. Ted Herbosa, on Thursday, June 8, said he is eyeing to digitize the services of the department, hoping this strategy would make healthcare accessible for all Filipinos. (Department of Health)
In a Laging Handa public briefing, Herbosa said one of the initiatives he will prioritize as the country’s newly appointed health chief is the digitization of DOH’s services. “Nakita ko na napakalaki ng kagawaran at kailangang gawin itong efficient. Naisip ko na ang solusyon ay gawing digital [ang DOH] (I saw that the organization is too big and it needed to be made efficient. I thought the solution was to make the DOH digital),” said Herbosa Once implemented, the DOH’s financing, procurement, and delivery of services will be processed through telemedicine, digital health, and digital methodology. “That way ay magiging mas efficient [ang services] at yung perang nilalaan ng bayan para sa kalusugan ay mapupunta talaga sa mga kababayan na nangangailangan (That way, the services will be more efficient and the money allocated by the people for health will actually go to people who are in need),” he furthered. This vision is in line with the administration’s goal to digitize government services across the archipelago to make it more accessible to the public, especially for Filipinos living in geographically isolated areas.