5 presidential aspirants lay down plans for healthcare system improvement

Five presidential candidates laid down Friday their plans to improve the healthcare system in the country, particularly in far-flung provinces and island municipalities.

During the KBP Presidential Candidates Forum, Vice President Leni Robredo said the community-based health program in the country should be strengthened so that the people would no longer need to go to urban cities for their medical needs.

“Kailangang ayusin at least ang barangay health center, i-equip ng basic equipment, at least may nurse sa bawat barangay health center at ‘yung nurse na ‘yun nakaconnect sa network ng doktor na pwede niyang tanungan. ‘Yung capacity building ng barangay health workers kailangan asikasuhin, ‘yung sasakyan para dalhin sila sa center dapat available,” she said.

(We need to equip every barangay health center with the basic medical equipment and assign a nurse who has connection with a network of doctors he or she can consult. The capacity building of barangay health workers should also be given attention, there should also be an available vehicle to transport them.)

Labor leader Leody de Guzman, for his part, said healthcare should be treated as an important sector and it should be the responsibility of the government and not the private sector.

“Dapat malagyan ng pondo, dapat ang mga probinsiya ay matayuan ng magagandang ospital at equipment (Funds should be allocated, every province should have a hospital with all the needed medical equipment),” he said.

He further said the youth should be encouraged to take up medicine and be a doctor or nurse so that there will be enough medical professional to treat patients.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, meanwhile, vowed to build more hospitals if ever he wins in the 2022 presidential race.

He said he plans to create Ospital Ng Maynila-like medical facilities in the country's 17 regions. A budget worth P34 billion will be allocated for this.

"Ganyan din ang mga ospital namin noong araw kaya pinuhunanan ko 'yan, binilhan ko 'yan ng (We allocated funds to our hospitals, we bought) equipment and so on and so forth and we reinforce it with medical professionals. We build a new one to prepare our city in the next pandemic, in the next challenges ng ating siyudad," Moreno said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said there are already laws enacted to improve the healthcare sector in the country and all the administration have to do is comply and allocate funds for it.

“Full implementation, full investment, P257 billion. Sa ngayon, nasa low-cost pa tayo. Ibig sabihin, nandoon pa tayo sa pagitan ng low-cost at ng medium-cost kaya kulang kulang. Ang aim nito pag full investment, one hospital bed per 800 population, isang rural health unit bawat 20,000 population, isang barangay health station sa bawat barangay na kumpleto, may health workers,” he said.

(We should seek its full implementation and and full investment which costs around P257 billion. Right now, we are still in between low-cost and medium-cost that is why our health facilities are lacking. The aim of the full investment is to meet the one hospital bed per 800 population ratio, one rural health unit per 20,000 population, and one barangay health station per barangay which will have complete manpower.)

He said right now, the Philippines should be at the high-cost implementation of the law but, unfortunately, the administration did not prioritize the funding of the Universal Health Care Act. He added there is also corruption in the Health Facilities Enhance Program (HFEP).

Lacson further said dignified salaries and benefits for the health workers should also be prioritized.

Senator Manny Pacquiao said he will make sure there will be a tertiary hospital in every city and province that would provide medical services to the people.

“Isinusulong natin ang pag increase ng salary ng nurses, doctors para sila ay ma-engganyo at ganadong magtrabaho para sa bayan. Sisiguruhin natin hindi lang sa cities maglalagay ng medical center, sisiguraduhin natin na kahit dun sa mga barangay magkakaroon ng medical center or facilities para hindi na sila bababa sa bayan,” he added.

(We will push for the increase in the salary of nurses and doctors to encourage them to serve the people. We will also make sure that there will be medical centers not only in the cities but in barangays as well.)

Former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was not able to join the forum due to conflict in schedule.—Llanesca Panti, Anna Felicia Bajo, Hana Bordey, Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA News