Harping on health as an election issue

We have a number of comments from our readers covering several issues. Our first one, from [email protected], is a reaction on our column about health as an election issue. Here’s what he says.

"From time to time, an issue or two may dominate American elections, e.g., Iraq in the last and forthcoming elections; and 9-11 several elections before. But health as an election issue is consistently in the top three. This is true in Europe, South America, and most of Asia.

"Fidel Castro survives because poor Cuba has an excellent health system and it’s free. In the Philippines, lip service would be an appropriate description (for those who carry the issue). And these (politicians) are from the intelligent ones. The others ignore the subject completely. Check out the ads in the coming election!

"The local public health system is pathetic. High costs of drugs, a ridiculous national budget for health (among the lowest in the world), ill-equipped hospitals, an antiquated health delivery system, etc., indicate that Filipinos do not value their health, have other priorities, do not know their rights as citizens, or all of the above. It’s amazing, how Filipinos accept death from very mundane and treatable diseases quite readily.

"Is the average Pinoy to blame? What about Pinoy mass media? I hardly see any medical advocacy articles. You and Boo Chanco are the exceptions. For some unknown reason, Filipino media is very kind to the medical establishment. This relationship gives the government a free ride on health.

"The same goes for the justice system. To wit, ‘left surgical gauzes inside a patient’s abdomen’ gets to be decided by the Supreme Court of the land? This case would never reach trial in the USA. Just like media, the legal establishment is more than generous to the medical establishment.

On medical tourism

"Public health is not the only problem in the Philippines. Private health today is not the same as it was 30 years ago, relative to the rest of the world. Thus, the press releases on medical tourism and the retirement industry are nothing but a ‘wet dream’ of promoters for tourism and the real estate development industry.

"Local medical tourism has no realistic shot (beyond cosmetic procedures and kidney transplants) in a highly competitive industry. For as long as the country has this love affair with its medical establishment, an honest evaluation of the true state of medical practice will not be forthcoming.

On retirement havens

"Retirement industry? So you bought this beautiful, somewhat overpriced unit in Tagaytay. Its Sunday, 5 p.m., you get a heart attack. What are your chances of surviving this episode? Well, you would in similar circumstances in Thailand or Malaysia!

"The reality is Tagaytay is not the worst place for a medical emergency, which retirees are apt to get! Retirees in general are old people, and most developers do not seem to be aware of this. Developers do not understand the business of medicine; ergo, it is not in the agenda. It’s really as simple as that!"

Botika ng Bayan

We received some comments from Larry Resurreccion of Poblacion 1, Marilao, Bulacan, about Botika ng Bayan.

"I appreciate your column relative to the above captioned subject, and to tell you I am interested to put up an outlet in our Barangay Poblacion I, Marilao, Bulacan. But later on I realized that the administrative expense relative to the hiring of qualified or a resident pharmacist will be a big problem, especially if we are only starting.

"I would like to suggest that a single pharmacist be allowed to handle at least five to seven outlets or even more. This will really ensure that the Botika ng Bayan program will be able to lower the price of all medicine and medicaments in the Philippines with more than 7,000 islands!"

Going for coco-diesel

This is from Carlos Antonio P. Palad of the corporate relations office of D&L Group of Industries/Chemrez Technologies Inc.

"Permit me to extend to you our appreciation for your columns on CME (coco-biodiesel) as well as your most recent column, entitled "The business of saving planet earth." We certainly share your love for the environment and your concern for the continued socio-economic progress of the Philippines.

"In the run-up to the projected implementation of the Biofuels Act of 2006 by the latter part of April, we are appealing to opinion makers, especially in the Fourth Estate, to allot some of their efforts to assisting the joint information and education campaign of the government and the biodiesel industry regarding coco-biodiesel so that more people would understand what the Biofuels Act means for them personally, and for the country as a whole. This is indeed a pivotal moment in our country’s drive for green and indigenous energy, and we are calling upon all concerned sectors to support this law."

Poker satellite starts at San Mig Alabang

The qualifying/satellite tournament for the 3rd PPT Million-Peso Hold’em Philippine Championship starts today at San Mig Alabang, located at Alabang Town Center. Registration starts at 7 p.m.

Philippine Poker Tour (PPT) and Pagcor have accredited San Mig as satellite host every Wednesdays and Fridays. Winners of the qualifying/satellite competition earn seats (worth P30,000 plus P3,000) to the grand finals scheduled on 8th and 9th July 2007.

The 3rd PPT Million-Peso Hold’em Championship, a joint project of Philippine Poker Tour (PPT) and Pagcor being the country’s gaming authority, is the biggest non-wager poker skills tournament in the local circuit.

Details of prize structure and tournament rules for the 3rd PPT Million-Peso Hold’em Championship are posted in the official PPT website: www.PhilippinePokerTour.com. Interested parties may also call the PPT secretariat (c/o Cindy) at 817-9092 or 812-0153.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 4th Floor, 156 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me [email protected] or at [email protected]. If you wish to view the previous columns, you may visit my website at http://bizlinks.linkedge.biz