Secretary Teodoro Herbosa revealed plans to establish Department of Health (DOH) hospitals in provinces that lack facilities and are far from regional hospitals.
During the 2nd National Health Sector Meeting on Jan. 31, Herbosa said that this initiative aims to address the growing reliance on private health facilities, with 54 percent of Filipinos currently seeking healthcare services from non-public institutions due to prolonged queues and extended waiting times in public hospitals.
Herbosa highlighted his motto, "Sana walang mahirap na Filipino na mamamatay, na ang dahilan ay wala syang pambili ng gamot (I hope no Filipino will die because they cannot afford medicine).”
He emphasized the DOH's commitment to aligning with President Marcos Jr.'s directive to bring healthcare services closer to the people.
“Ang hope ko rin ay mapamura ang medicine o maibigay ito ng libre sa mga mahihirap sa pamamagitan ng mga benepisyo ng PhilHealth, medical assistance for indigent patients, the Malasakit program, at kung anu ano pang mga funds ang available like PCSO, PAGCOR, para tumulong sa ating 28 million poorest Filipinos (My hope is also that the cost of medicine will decrease or be provided for free to the less fortunate through the benefits of PhilHealth, medical assistance for indigent patients, the Malasakit Program, and other available funds like PCSO, PAGCOR, to aid our 28 million poorest Filipinos),” he said.
Moreover, the Health Chief also shed light on the objectives of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law, designating the DOH as the health authority responsible for providing, promoting, and developing health services for the Filipino people.
Herbosa addressed the historical context, stating, "Nawala kami [DOH], kasi noong 1991 at ipinasa ang local government code, parang bumitaw ang DOH sa primary care kasi sinasabi noon bahala na ang local government. So sabi ko alisin nyo na ‘yan" (We [DOH] were marginalized in 1991 when the local government code was passed. It seemed like DOH relinquished primary care responsibilities to local government. So I said, let's change that).
Despite acknowledging the local government unit's (LGU) capacity to assist, he affirmed the DOH's continued role in delivering primary care.
Establishing 28 centers as satellite extensions
Moreover, highlighting the importance of establishing 28 centers as satellite extensions of existing DOH hospitals and state universities and colleges with the College of Medicine by 2028, Herbosa identified “human resources” as a significant challenge in implementing the UHC law.
“Ang mga nurses natin ay umaalis, ang mga doctor natin ay they go for the high paying jobs in other countries, kaya ang bansa ay nagdagdag ng mga state universities and colleges na may college of medicine (Our nurses are leaving, and our doctors are opting for higher-paying jobs in other countries. That's why the country is adding state universities and colleges with a College of Medicine),” he said.
Expressing the DOH's commitment to aiding emerging state universities, Herbosa revealed plans to consult with university presidents, particularly those with extensive land areas suitable for teaching hospitals.
“Eventually kasi, ‘pag nag-fa-function na ang mga ito, tutulong ang mga estudyante as manpower, so ito ang ine-envision kong mga tutulong kasama ng mga personel na nagre-residence training sa ating specialty hospital (Eventually, when these are already functioning, students will help as manpower. This is the vision of those who will assist, along with the personnel undergoing residency training in our specialty hospital),” he said.
On the other hand, the Health Chief highlighted a past directive during Secretary Ona's tenure, requiring all DOH hospitals to have training in family and community medicine.
This directive has been implemented, ensuring a pool of family medicine graduates, particularly for managing the upcoming "BUCAS Center," or Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service Centers.
He outlined a rotational approach for various services, envisioning a scenario where different specialties operate on specific days without imposing substantial costs on patients.
"For other services, they can initially be on rotation. For example, on Monday, general surgery may operate, on Tuesday, ophthalmology, and on Wednesday, obstetrics and gynecology. So, these services can be provided without patients having to pay a substantial amount," he said in Filipino.