Universal health care
IN the 2018 State of the Nation Address delivered by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte last July 23, he stressed the need for the urgent passage of a universal health care bill that will guarantee every Filipino access to the highest standard of health services possible for the government to provide. Pending before the Senate is Senate Bill No. 1458, the countermeasure to House Bill No. 5784, the Universal Health Coverage Bill. As it has been certified as urgent by President Duterte, Filipinos can expect improved health care services in the days ahead.
The right to health of every human person is guaranteed in both the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration states: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care….” Similarly, the Philippine Constitution safeguards the right to health of every Filipino in Article XIII, Section 11: “The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost….”
A reality check will reveal that the Philippine health care system is greatly challenged. In the Philippine Health Agenda 2016-2022, the following problems in our healthcare system were identified: (1) persistent inequities in health outcomes; (2) restrictive and impoverishing health care costs; and (3) poor quality and undignified care in public clinics and hospitals. To address these concerns and ensure that the health system we aspire for will be achieved, the following guarantees were proposed: (1) services for both the well and the sick; (2) a functional network of health facilities; and (3) financial freedom when accessing health services.
We join the President in recognizing that much can and still needs to be done in the Philippine healthcare system to ensure that Filipinos, especially the young ones, are kept disease-free and at optimum health. The passage of a Philippine Universal Health Coverage Bill which Filipinos will greatly benefit from, especially the marginalized and underprivileged ones, should indeed be prioritized.