MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte certified the Universal Health Coverage bill as urgent during the Cabinet meeting on Monday, his spokesman announced on Tuesday.
“I am very pleased to announce that our pet bill when we were in Congress, Universal Health Care (UHC), which we sponsored and defended in the Lower House, was certified urgent by the President,” said Harry Roque Jr.
According to Roque, a former Kabayan party-list representative, the measure aims to deliver primary care services to all Filipinos.
Barangay health workers (BHWs) will play a vital role in achieving the goals of the UHC, the Palace official said.
“Sila po ay magiging gatekeeper,” he explained. “Sila ang first contact ng mga pasyente, kasama po ang community nurse at midwife … sa mga barangay health centers.”
The BHWs will decide whether the patients will be immediately given medication or referred to specialists or hospitals, said Roque.
According to Roque, the bill proposes a “hybrid” health care system.
“Nandiyan pa rin ang papalit sa PhilHealth, ang pangalan ay Philippine Health Security Corp., na siyang magbibigay ng medical insurance.
“Pero ang pagkakaiba nito ay iyong pagkakilala na hindi po sapat ang medical insurance para mabigyan ng libreng panggamot ang lahat at gagastusan po natin ng pera na galing sa kaban ng bayan,” he said./PN
