By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
THE PROVINCE of Negros Occidental is facing a new dawn but niggled with a “silent war” against an “unseen enemy”.
Billed as a “new dawn” is the implementation of Republic Act 11223 or Universal Health Care (UHC) Law in the province next year.
The silent war, on the other hand, is against the intensifying province-wide spike in Human Immunodeficiency Virus – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV-AIDS) cases.
How do these things (UHC and HIV-AIDS) affect the lives and health of the Negrosanons?
Focus and optimism with holistic approach, experts say, are the keys.
But not an easy job, rather, tedious for a governor.
Hence, Gov. Bong Lacson needs everyone’s support and cooperation for a much-needed “balance” on the province’s various health programs and advocacies.
WITH OPEN ARMS
I’ll be honest. UHC is still a “bit complicated”. Inked into law in 2019 yet, until now the implementation is staggered per province.
Why? Can’t it be implemented simultaneously? What’s wrong?
The UHC Law has still lots of gray areas needing to be defined. More so on the roles and basic counterparts of every local government unit (LGU).
Yes, its purposes are noblest. Imagine that every Filipino shall be granted eligibility for health benefit package under the program. But allotting only P500 to P700 per member for his/her healthcare needs every year is a joke.Can’t really equate that such a nationwide health program will only have a measly appropriation.
Knowing the price of health services in the country nowadays, the basic question is: “Kaigo bala ini ipabulong mo?”
But with all humility, Gov. Bong welcomed UHC with open arms. In a UHC gab held in Bacolod City on Nov. 24, the governor said, “There’s no time more fitting to robustly implement the UHC Act than now.”
Thus, during the signing of the Pledge of Commitment, the governor also declared: “We, the officials and healthcare workers, together with the implementing key agencies and stakeholders of the Province of Negros Occidental, pledge and commit to engage and support the implementation of the UHC Law.”
I pretty admire the governor’s optimism. Hoping that UHC would never cause any hullabaloo in the future, considering of the amount earmarked per Filipino.
I am praying, too, that it won’t end up as a political tool for future polls.
‘SHOCKING DEVELOPMENT’
Meanwhile, Negros Occ. is battling HIV-AIDS. The term used by Provincial Health Office (PHO) chief, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, is quite alarming.
At present, the province ranked No. 3 in the entire Region 6 on HIV-AIDS cases. It has 1,176 with a 15-year-old boy as the youngest case. The figures are unnerving.
Dr. Tumimbang stressed a holistic approach is badly needed to address the growing infection.
The dramatic rise in cases among LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) communities in NegOcc is worrisome.
“Such is the top reason in the proliferation of HIV-AIDS in the province,” said Arnulfo Makilan, focal person on HIV-AIDS advocacy in the province.
“Thus, we are focusing now our campaign on youth, especially those in senior high school,” Makilan said.
This kind of population, study reveals, is the most daring in terms of unsafe sexual adventures (USA). But it’s good to note that the province now has three HIV-AIDS testing hubs. These are at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City, Cadiz City Hospital and Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City. HIV testing is free. Too, they adhere to confidentiality.
Beyond testing, PHO HIV-AIDS coordinators Jo Nonato and Edjohn Javellana said they also offer free anti-retroviral pills as maintenance medicines.
Then, they extend counselling to persons living with HIV (PLHIVs) via “Kamusta ang Sex Life Mo” program.
COME OUT AND BE TESTED
Dr. Tumimbang said their focus now is to let Negrosanons to come out and be tested.
“After all,” the PHO chief enunciated, “to be tested positive of HIV ain’t the end of the world.”
But refusal to HIV testing is the most dangerous act leading to the “silent transmission” of the disease dripping in the entire province.
Since 1984, Philippines has recorded more than 46,000 HIV cases. The figure includes 4,556 full-blown AIDS cases and 2,303 deaths.
Despite having Republic Act No. 8504 (The Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998), cases of HIV remain uncontainable.
“Sexual adventurism”, particularly the widely-known male to male (M2M) sexual encounter, is cited as the main factor on his health mayhem. Proof to this in NegOcc, of the 1,176 HIV cases, 1,078 are males.
Bad to conclude that HIV-AIDS is somehow a “curse”. But the Bible (1 Corinthians 6:18) is firm in warning everyone: “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”/PN
