A resolution lobbied in the House of Representatives eyes to fix the long-standing woes plaguing the Philippine health care system.
House Resolution 1436, filed on 8 November, seeks to alleviate the "dire state" of the Philippine health care system, such as "poor health outcomes, lack of access to quality care and inefficient allocation of resources," which has left many financially challenge Filipinos access to a quality health care.
In filing the resolution, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, the bill's proponent, posits a strong conviction that this could be finally addressed by forming a joint congressional panel, composed of five congressmen and senators, which House and Senate health committee chairpersons will co-chair.
The joint panel will be in charge of the thorough review, assessment, and evaluation of the performance of the offices involved in providing access and financing of health as the bill proposed.
The said committee will act as an initial measure towards a prospective restructuring of the country's poor healthcare system.
The Philippines has been grappling with healthcare issues, ranking 120th out of 195 countries with regards to both the accessibility and quality of healthcare for the management of preventable diseases based on a 2017 study by Ben Kritz published in the Manila Times.
Also in 2017, the Philippines came in at number 60 out of 191 countries in the World Health Organization's Ranking of the World's Health Systems.
Even with the implementation of landmark healthcare reform pieces in the last three decades, such as the Universal Health Care Act (RA 11223), the National Health Insurance Act (RA 7875), the Generics Act of 1988 (RA 6675), and the Philippines Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160) or the devolution of health care to local governments, Quimbo lamented the persistent disparities and inefficiencies that afflict the health care system.
This is despite the said laws correlate with other reform initiatives such as the Department of Health's "Health Sector Reform Agenda", the "FOURmula One (F!)" and the F1 Plus for health, Kalusugang Pangkalahatan."
Quimbo lamented that the "shortage in medical personnel, lack of capacity in hospital space, lack of focus on preventive care, unsuccessful efforts to address HIV cases, adolescent pregnancy, and infant mortality rate," all point to a poor health care system of the country.
"Almost half of patients covered by PhilHealth pay for their medical expenses out-of-pocket and any reimbursements by PhilHealth are insufficient to cover hospital expenses," the economist-lawmaker stressed.
She added, "Despite its noble intent, PhilHealth is yet to meet its targets, and its failures and doubts on its readiness warrant a reassessment and a review of its implementation strategies,"
Currently, PhilHealth covers almost 66 percent of the hospital bills of Filipino members on average, according to its president and CEO, Emmanuel Ledesma Jr.
PhilHealth, previously flagged by lawmakers for owing various hospitals around P27 billion despite having P534 billion in funds, was earlier pressed to implement a 20 to 30 percent hike in its benefits coverage.
Quimbo stressed the urgent need to solve the pressing issues in Philippine health care as it lags in meeting many of the previously set performance targets on Sustainable Development Growth, which are specific to good health and well-being.
Nearly 93 percent of Filipinos would rather self-medicate than seek professional help when they are sick, said Quimbo, attributing the numbers to the lack of access to a medical professional even in the face of fatal medical conditions.
In light of the escalating challenges faced by the healthcare system, Quimbo said the government should develop a more expeditious strategy to address the present and rapidly changing healthcare situation.
The House leader further argued that increasing efforts to collect data and create a health information exchange system are imperative to enhance healthcare delivery by increasing access and funding.
"There is a pressing need for an organized and contemporary approach to address the evolving challenges faced by the health care sector, particularly in light of the current times," the resolution read.
