Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin (PPAB)

Former Department of Health (DOH) secretary, Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin believes it's time for the House of Representatives to exercise its oversight function on the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.

Garin, also deputy majority leader, recently filed House Resolution (HR) No. 2081 for this purpose.

She said the inquiry--to be carried out by the House Committee on Health--should focus on the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process and other provisions of the law that may hinder timely access to necessary healthcare innovations.

The sought review aims to institute legislative reforms to improve the availability and accessibility of healthcare for all Filipinos, Garin said.

Aside from the HTA process, the committee should also review the HTA Council structure and function as it may not consistently fulfill its mandate in an impartial and timely manner, according to the resolution.

Garin likewise emphasized the need for a thorough review of the primary implementer of the UHC law as the DOH should be the primary implementer, not Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

"I urge the leadership of both the House and the Senate to make the amendment of UHC a priority. We must address the elephant in the room," Garin said, referring to the restrictive provisions of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11223.

"It is vital to fortify the country’s public health system and ensure timely access to essential health interventions for Filipinos," added the Visayan.

Garin, also a doctor and vaccinologist, pointed out 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. 

The former health secretary likewise stressed that after the Phase III clinical trial, health interventions are already considered safe and efficacious.

"The requirement for Phase IV clinical trials under Section 34 of the UHC Act may result in significant delays in providing Filipinos access to cutting-edge medical innovations and treatments, effectively requiring that such interventions be extensively used in other countries for 5 to 10 years before being made available domestically," the resolution read. 

Furthermore, the lawmaker mentioned that no country mandates Phase IV of clinical trials.