SEN. Francis G. Escudero said the government should improve the facilities and services in public hospitals and health clinics across the country if it expects the universal health-coverage plan under the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to work.
The senator, who used to chair the Senate Committee on Finance, said P13.5 billion and P13.2 billion were allocated in 2014 and 2015, respectively, for the government’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) under the Department of Health.
Through the HFEP, rural health units, barangay health stations and local government-run hospitals should be able to acquire the necessary equipment and hire highly trained health professionals that would make them more responsive to the population’s health needs. The HFEP would also help them meet the accreditation requirements of PhilHealth, which would allow more indigents to seek treatment in public health-care facilities.
“If the government is really serious about the health of its people, it needs to properly equip public health facilities, especially in areas where local governments do not have sufficient budget for health spending,” Escudero said.