Novartis forum gathers stakeholders to strengthen country’s health system

MANILA, Philippines - Key officials of government agencies and private-sector stakeholders shared their inputs during a multi-stakeholder forum that focused on health financing and universal healthcare last month.

Organized by Novartis Healthcare Philippines in collaboration with St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) and the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Dr. Stephen Zuellig Center for Asian Business Transformation, Future Health Trends Forum II aimed to align the priorities of government and private sector stakeholders in order to strengthen the Philippine healthcare system. The forum was held last month at the SLMC Global City.

“The Aquino administration recognizes the need to harness all efforts under the banner of universal healthcare. We have raised more resources for health through the Sin Tax Reform Law, which assures PhilHealth coverage for the poorest Filipinos. More resources will be allotted to upgrade government health facilities, 2013 being the (government’s) biggest year for health revenue,” said lawyer Alexander Padilla, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). Padilla was the forum’s keynote speaker.

“As the country transitions to universal healthcare, more Filipino doctors will emerge as leaders and managers in the healthcare sector,” said SLMC medical director Dr. Edgardo Cortez.

“The Aquino administration is entering into innovative public-private partnerships with private companies to build modern medical centers and health facilities that will provide Filipino patients with quality, affordable health services,” said Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa.

“The government alone cannot address the nation’s healthcare needs. We need the support and cooperation of the private sector to improve access to health services, particularly to the most vulnerable and marginalized Filipinos,” said Margarita Juico, chairperson of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. 

“In the Philippines, the population is aging and the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases is increasing. Novartis looks at patients’ needs and addresses them through research and development,” said Thomas Weigold, president and managing director of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

The Future Health Trends Forum series aims to assess local healthcare and business trends to project future trends that would enable stakeholders to become relevant and strong partners of society.

Held in February 2012 and hosted by SLMC Global City, Future Health Trends Forum I assessed the country’s health financing status and public-private partnerships in health as well as discussed ways to increase access to medicine.

Since the holding of the first forum, the Sin Tax Reform and Reproductive Health bills had been enacted into law and amendments to the National Health Insurance Act were made. As such, the forum’s organizers believed there was a need to reassess the healthcare environment and realign the strategies crafted in the previous forum.

Other resource speakers in Future Health Trends Forum II included Patricia Moser, lead health specialist, Asian Development Bank; Mario Silos, president, Association of Health Maintenance Organization of the Philippines; and Prof. Roberto de Vera, assistant professor, School of Economics, University of Asia and the Pacific