Health

After education, the next big concern for the new president is health. We found out in this era of COVID how important it is to have a good health infrastructure across the country. We also need health officials who can be depended upon to make the right decisions at the right time.

Health is another neglected concern that also has a serious impact on our economic growth. A working age population that is not healthy cannot be productive.

Neglecting health services exacerbates the feeling of alienation that a majority of Filipinos feel on the other side of the wide social divide.

Because our hospitals are mostly private sector driven operating on a pay-as-you-go system, those who cannot afford the services are effectively left to die.

We only have one PGH where anyone can get quality hospital care at minimal cost. Even government-owned specialty hospitals like the Heart Center require patients to pay for prescriptions and some services.

Don’t even talk about PhilHealth. This attempt to help our people cover medical costs is a joke. It is corrupt and coverage is often barely able to cover the actual costs of getting healthcare.

Last week, the older brother of our driver died after a short stay in a private hospital in Paranaque where he was  rushed. The bill came out to P400k. It was a problem for the family because the hospital was holding the body hostage until the bill was paid.

For retirees, health costs are a big worry. We lose our company sponsored healthcare benefits after retirement, even though that is the time we need health services most.

Last week, I consulted with my pulmonologist about  my chronic cough. I have had this for ages, but didn’t mind it much. It was earlier diagnosed as asthma and proper medications seem to alleviate it.

But as we get back to post-COVID normal, folks I have face-to-face meetings with may feel paranoid about my cough. So my pulmonologist suggested ruling out the possibility of tuberculosis.

TB?  Did you notice I don’t look a bit malnourished? I remarked. Indeed, I am still trying to lose 10 to 20 pounds on the recommendation of my cardiologist. I certainly don’t look tubercular.

But you will be surprised, my pulmonologist replied, at how healthy and wealthy some patients who test positive for TB are these days. TB is on an upsurge, she said, and we are fourth in a list of countries with the most number of cases after India, China, and Indonesia.

So in this era of evidence-based medicine, she ordered some tests for me… three types of sputum tests and a CT-scan of my chest. The results so far show negative for TB, but the tests set me back over P20K. In other countries, all that would have been for free.

Interestingly, I got this forward in my email that describes how one country handles the healthcare of their people. I don’t think it is just a question of money because if we truly want something, there are ways of getting there.

I am reproducing it here just to serve as an ideal we should try to achieve.

“I’m a former New Yorker, but lived in London for the past 25 years.

“In the States, if you have a good job, you can live very comfortably. But if you have a serious medical emergency or long term medical needs, this can bankrupt you, you can lose your home and be very poor.

“For average workers, the medical insurance is very difficult as the insurance is very expensive and on top of that, you have to co-pay. And many can’t get insurance because of pre-existing issues.

“In the UK, medical care is free, doesn’t matter about your past history ... the taxes we pay towards it is less than what people pay in the States for their insurance. People never have to worry about being homeless because of ongoing medical problems.

“My high-earning son had the opportunity to work for his company in the States, but he realized he has a much better safety net here in the UK for his family. It felt too much of a risk for him to have to pay for medical insurance for his family when it isn’t even guaranteed that it will pay for certain things.

“England’s National Health Service (NHS).  A rare example of truly socialized medicine.  Health care is provided by a single payer – the British government – and is funded by the taxpayer.  All appointments and treatments are free to the patient (though paid for through taxes), as are almost all prescription drugs.

“The NHS is a single payer healthcare system. It’s overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care. The NHS provides healthcare to all legal English residents and residents from other regions of the UK, with most services free at the point of use for most people.

“PhilHealth provides a fraction of the healthcare benefits of the NHS.”

Same in Canada. A friend had a heart attack at Stanley Park, within minutes an ambulance picked him up, got a heart bypass and upon checking out of the hospital got a bill of $7 for administrative expenses. That was all.

I often hear of Fil-Ams who want to retire in the Philippines, but our high healthcare costs discourage them.

Apparently, their healthcare benefits are not portable in the sense they can’t be used here. Our hospitals are not accredited to handle Medicare and other health insurance, and there is no effort to have that done.

We have good doctors so that is not a problem. Our problem is healthcare cost and availability of quality care for the masses who cannot afford private medical care.

One more thing… We need to upgrade salaries for nurses and other healthcare workers or we will continue to lose the best of them to the UK, US, and the Middle East.

I hope the financial geniuses in government, like Joey Salceda, can work out a better PhilHealth. Those MD-MBAs from Ateneo Med School can help crunch the numbers. For many, this is a matter of life and death.

Boo Chanco’s email address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco.