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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Garin: Fixing Universal Health Care Law more important than changing PhilHealth chief 

Garin: Fixing Universal Health Care Law more important than changing PhilHealth chief 

Published Oct 11, 2024 04:08 am

At A Glance

  • Amending the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law should take precedence over any proposed leadership change at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). 

FB_IMG_1727059766722.jpgIloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin (Facebook)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amending the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law should take precedence over any proposed leadership change at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth). 

Thus, said House Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo lone district Rep. Janette Garin, who reckoned that replacing the chief of the state health insurer would be useless. 

"We can change the PhilHealth chief a hundred times but unless we amend the law as soon as possible, Universal Health Care can never be achieved," Garin, former Department of Health (DOH) secretary, said. 

"I call on the leadership of both Houses to make the amendment to UHC a priority," she added, referring to the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

Garin, who calls herself "Doc Nanay", made the statement as she bared plans to refile a resolution to urge the House Committee on Health to review some provisions of UHC Law. 

According to her, the said law will not be fulfilled because it contained what she called "killer provisions". 

Garin, also a doctor and vaccinologist, said that health interventions such as medicines, vaccines and medical devices need not undergo Phase IV clinical study as Section 34 of the UHC law states. She emphasized that after the Phase III clinical trial, health interventions are already considered safe and efficacious. 

"With this requirement of Phase IV, Filipinos will have no recourse but to go to other countries to gain access to any breakthrough in science. This Section 34 of UHC is just one of the many provisions deemed restrictive and detrimental to health care accessibility," the resolution read. 

The lady lawmaker also criticized the creation of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC), and pointed out that it was influenced by anti-pharmaceutical groups and former officials who wanted to empower themselves. 

Garin has been pushing for UHC Law amendment since the 18th Congress. It has been pending at the committee level since August 2020. 

 

Related Tags

Janette Garin Universal Health Care law PhilHealth
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