SANTA CRUZ, Manila — Health secretary Teodoro ‘Ted’ Herbosa has expressed commitment to providing free hospitalization to all Filipinos while reiterating that the health department’s priority is the continuous implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law, which is at the core of all actions in the Department of Health (DoH) under its eight-point action agenda.

“You know, in 2019, we passed (this) law by the Senate and Congress that aims to give every Filipino access to health care services, even in far-flung areas and for those who cannot afford to pay for medical services,” Herbosa cited in reference to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s advocacy to ensure accessibility of medical health care to all Filipinos.

In addition, the health chief likewise mentioned that there is also a plan by the health department to focus and address the issue of the emigration of healthcare workers in the country, saying that the visible solution to the problem is to increase their wages so that they have the ability to support their families financially and live a comfortable life.

The DoH is currently working with legislators to pass a bill to increase the entry salaries of healthcare workers. “We’re trying to generate evidence and explore strategies and schemes for standardizing the salary of HRH (human resources for health) in the public health sector at the national and local levels for the medical, nursing, dentistry, and medical technology occupational group. We’re also ramping up efforts in monitoring and assisting the DOH implementing units in filling up the available unfilled plantilla positions, about 4,500 for nurses,” Herbosa stated.

He recognized the unfathomable service and the hard work that the country’s healthcare professionals have provided their patients.

“Health is a basic human right guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution of 1987. This is provided in the Philippines through a dual health delivery system composed of the public sector and the private sector. The public sector is largely financed through a tax-based budgeting system where health services are delivered by government facilities under the national and local governments,” he explained.

Finally, in view of the DoH’s supervision of government corporate hospitals, particularly public and regional hospitals, Herbosa disclosed that he is promoting or intensifying public-private partnerships (PPP) in health because he firmly believes that the public-private partnerships among the government and these corporate bodies are pivotal in the realization of the goals of UHC. “We need all hands to galvanize the initiatives that we have to implement for the improvement of healthcare services to the Filipino people,” he concluded.