Alarmed by 2021 mortality rate, Doc Willie eyes more hospitals, free medicine

Vice presidential aspirant Dr. Willie Ong on Thursday urged the government to invest in healthcare and free medicine as the Philippines posts its highest mortality rate since World War II.

Ong was reacting to a Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) report that the first 11 months of 2021 saw more registered deaths nationwide at 768,504, higher than the 154,562 deaths in 2020.

According to Ong, many of the deaths are preventable if only the government had built more hospitals and improved access to healthcare.

Ong noted that poor patients do not have access to teleconsultations.

“They need face-to-face check-ups. We need to build more hospitals to address the increasing death toll in the last 2 years of the pandemic. This trend cannot continue anymore," he added in a statement.

Based on POPCOM's report, ischemic heart disease is the top cause of death with 110,332 fatalities up to October 2021. This was followed by COVID-19, classified as identified or unidentified, which killed 75,285 Filipinos.

Ong said the government should establish several hospitals, including an infectious disease hospital, in preparation for future pandemics.

He also called the building of a national cancer center for cancer patients and 17 additional regional hospitals to expand access to health care.

Meanwhile, Ong said the government should provide free medicines for high blood pressure, diabetes, COVID-19, heart disease, and mental health.

“National government should buy newly discovered COVID-19 medicines that can reduce hospitalization and deaths by 88%, just like what Manila is doing under Mayor Isko's leadership,” he said.

Ong also said the wages of doctors and nurses should be increased.

"Dapat 'yung sweldo ng doctors, nurses 'yun talaga ang tutuunan ng pansin. Minsan kahit may hospital bed ay wala namang doktor at nurse," he said.

(Focus should be given to the wages of doctors and nurses. Sometimes you have hospital beds but no doctors and nurses.) —Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA News