DOH pursues new strategy in achieving Universal Health Care

MANILA, Philippines — Preventive health care and early detection and management of diseases will now be the focus of the Department of Health (DOH) in achieving the goals of the country’s Universal Health Care (UHC) program.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire has identified priority initiatives that, when successfully implemented, will allow Filipinos to experience the benefits of primary care and help realize UHC.

Vergeire said this new strategy shifts the country’s health system from the current high-cost, specialist-centric system to a preventive, promotive, and integrated primary health care service delivery system.

Part of the aim of the DOH is to detect and manage diseases early and address their root causes.

“Specifically, these include increasing accessibility of health care services, eliminating financial risk for indigent patients in public health facilities, promoting access to medicines, addressing social determinants of health, and supporting health care workers,” Vergeire said in a statement.

Earlier, Vergeire led the launch of the “Primary Care Day” in Lubao, Pampanga to provide essential primary care services, highlight the importance of investing in primary care, and underscore the role of local government units as the main implementers of the primary care reform, pursuant to the UHC Law.

“Primary care is hinged on providing preventive health care services, which means that it relies on early screening, management, and referral to delay the onset of complications,” she said.

“Moreover, primary care underlines health promotion to improve overall health outcomes and address social determinants of health. Anchored on a comprehensive approach, it provides first contact-access and use of health services whenever necessary, includes promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation through coordination and integration of all the care the user receives and needs with the other health services, and ensures that there is continuity of services,” she added.

At the same time, the health chief said the DOH is pushing for initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of health care workers in the country, including the expansion of the Magna Carta of Health Care Workers to cover both the public and private sectors, as well as standardizing salaries of human resources for health (HRH) throughout the country.

“The reforms of UHC can only be realized if we have a sufficient and engaged health care workforce supporting and implementing our reforms on the ground,” Vergeire said.

In addition, she said: “We are now working with concerned agencies like the Department of Labor and Employment, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Migrant Workers, and Department of Foreign Affairs to address perennial issues on HRH production and implement short- and long-term measures in line with our bigger agenda of strengthening our health care workforce and ensuring adequate health care workers in the country.”