President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos said on Monday, July 25, that free dialysis services are now available to the most needy Filipino patients.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his second State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 24, 2023. (Malacañang photo)
During his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), which ran for 70 minutes, Marcos noted the expansion in the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s (PhilHealth) dialysis coverage of each patient to 156 sessions.
“Upang mas lalo pang makatulong sa mga pasyente, ang dating siyam-napung libreng dialysis sessions ay inakyat na natin sa isandaan at limampu’t anim. Mga kababayan, libre na po ngayon ang dialysis para sa karamihan ng Pilipino (In order to further help the patients, we have increased the free 90 dialysis sessions before to 156. Our countrymen, dialysis is now free to most Filipinos),” he said.
The Chief Executive made the remarks in his address to the nation as he highlighted the 3.4 million recipients of the health assistance under the Department of Health’s (DOH) Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAP) program.
Marcos also stressed that his administration is also working to resolve the shortage of country’s doctors and nurses.
“Tinutugunan natin ngayon ang ating kakulangan sa mga doctor at mga nurse, sa pamamagitan ng mga reporma sa edukasyon, patuloy na pagsasanay, at paniniguro sa kanilang kapakanan (We are currently addressing the shortage of doctos and nurses through education reforms, continuous training, and ensuring their welfare),” Marcos said.
The President cited the deployment of Filipino doctors to almost 200 municipalities across the country. He vowed to deploy more in the remaining 19 towns.
“Upang masuklian naman ang naging sakripisyo ng ating mga health workers sa pribado at pampubliko na mga ospital noong nakaraang pandemya, ipapamahagi na sa kanila ang kanilang Covid health emergency allowance at iba pang mga nabinbing benepisyo (To give back to the sacrifices of our health workers in the private and public hospitals during the past pandemic, we have distributed to them their Covid health emergency allowance and other pending benefits),” he said.
In his SONA, Marcos emphasized that PhilHealth should provide better healthcare services for Filipinos.
“We are working for a more direct, efficient delivery of services, through integrated primary care providers and networks, in partnership with the LGUs (local government units) and our partners in the private sector. These shall of course be supported by what is now a better and more efficient PhilHealth,” he said.
The President added he’s nearing his goal of providing all Filipinos soon with healthcare services given that more than 93 percent of Filipinos are already members of PhilHealth.
He mentioned that under the state insurer’s Konsulta Package, there are 21 medicines and 13 laboratory services being provided for free.
The Philippines has more than 2,000 Konsulta centers that could cater to the needs of patients, he said.