Palace issues health facility blueprint

THE PRESIDENTIAL palace has adopted the blueprint for the upgrade of Philippine health facilities, ordering agencies to craft policies to attract investments from both local and foreign companies for the program.

The plan, which outlines the government’s strategy for infrastructure and medical investments, is contained in a memo signed for the President by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin.

The order tasks the Department of Health (DoH), in collaboration with the Trade department and Board of Investments to create policies that will encourage investments in health facilities.

Limited frontline health facilities remain a challenge, according to the plan, noting that health stations, rural health units and health centers are “supposedly the entry points of individuals, families and communities into health system practice.”

“In practice, however, patients go directly to hospitals and other specialized clinics, resulting in large health system inefficiencies.”

While the number of village health stations has doubled to about 22,000 in 2019 from the 1990 level, “only half of the total barangays have at least one barangay health station.”

The plan also noted that while the number of hospital beds has increased over the years, it has not kept pace with the fast-growing population.

“The current bed to population ratio (1.2 bed per 1,000 population) is comparable to those of the poorest countries in the world.”

The Health department in a separate statement said the plan outlines approaches for health facilities to be climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable.

“It follows the service delivery model envisioned in the Universal Health Care Act of 2019: a primary care-oriented and integrated health system,” it added.

Under the memo, DoH will encourage local governments to enter into public-private partnerships to address the gaps with the help of the Public-Private Partnership Center.

It also tasks DoH and the Department of Interior and Local Government to help guide and support local government units in translating the plan into a long-term local health facility development plan.

The agencies should coordinate with local governments in formulating policies for the establishment of primary care and health care provider networks. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza