Open Letter to Noynoy Part 1:
Improving Universal Health Care and Heath Security Has Ancillary Effects
Mr President-Elect,
When he inherited his young island nation from the Malaysian
Federation, and faced with a raging, gargantuan communist insurgency,
Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore told his 200 "best of the brightest"
associates in 1965 that "whatever the Reds offer, WE HAVE TO OFFER
SOMETHING BETTER."
We can learn from Singapore by simply starting with health care.
Doctors are sorely needed in 90% of the Philippines. Medical students
after passing Medical Boards are to be issued certificates of medical
licensure AFTER they have completed 2 years of national medical
service in the provinces. As with Singapore's public servants, doctors
in provincial service will have to be paid INSANELY WELL. If this
works well with doctors, pay the rest of our government public
servants similarly. The best and the brightest of Singapore were
recruited to serve in government, and it helps that they were paid
better than the private sector. With fiscal discipline (clamping down
on corruption) and stern justice (Internal Security Act), they made
Singapore First World in 20 years. Try it here in the Philippines.
To improve access of Filipinos to healthcare facilities especially in
acute situations, a nationwide interisland and road/port/bridge
infrastructure has to be started. Employmemt in this giant nationwide
infrastructure project will generate jobs for millions of Filipino poor.
A national health identification system ID card should be issued to
all citizens containing their past and current medical status. This
will also improve domestic security and enhance revenue collection. No
compromise.
In Cuba there is a hospital for every 5 barrios. This can be
replicated in the Philippines. An economically viable model should be
a 100 bed hospital. Building 90,000 such hospitals (1 hospital for
every 1000 Filipinos) should cover the whole population. Hospital
building generates businesses and jobs.
Doctors need to be secure to practice in the remote barrios.
Increasing the military and police budget to enhace sustained security
will encourage doctors and rural people to stay in their areas. Our
fathers brought down Taruc from the Huk boondocs in the 1950's using
the successful Magsaysay-Landsdale model of dealing with insurgency, a
model we should revisit.
There must be a research hospital in each province and region to
specifically identify and address solutions to public health problems
unique to each province/region and to create practical technologies
and health care models unique and appropriate to each area.
Taxation will need to be improved to fund the Philippine Health budget
from its current 2% share to 15% of the national budget.
Enforcement of taxation on Filipinos will require a revamped justice
and law enforcement system to ensure compliance.
Funding will be assisted by encouraging the "oligarchs" (the term
Ferdinand Marcos and Ninoy Aquino used to describe the Philippines'
super rich) to moving their overseas funds back to the country's
local financial institutions, like the Indonesians.
PhilHealth, currently underfunded, should be expanded to include FULL
coverage for every service, including big ticket procedures like organ
transplantation, coronary bypass, and chemotherapy (kaawawa-awa talaga
ang Pilipino). Current shortfall in Philhealth budget is due to the
overwhelming failure of remittances by companies of their employees'
Philhealth contribution. If the justice system and law enforcement
will be consequently revamped and improved this can happen. Revenue
collection has to be improved and this will not happen with poor law
enforcement and a slow justice system.
Telecommunications have to be upgraded to allow Filipino MDs here and
abroad to help local experts in remote areas via telemedicine
encounters and remote (robotic) surgical procedures. This must be made
ubiquitous as we can have the best expertise without having our
overseas and local urban experts physically present.
Public sanitation infrastructure development to the barangay level
quells disease and generates employment.
Vying to beat India, Thailand and Singapore in Medical Tourism
promotes jobs and generates income. The Filipino, because of his being
"mapuso" (heartfelt, genuine and caring concern for another), is
undisputably the world's best service provider. We have to complement
this trait with world standard technical proficiency, and we will be
unbeatable.
Pollution control and going green promotes health and employment.
Improved law enforcement and a justice system will aid this.
Local pharmaceutical manufacturing (our drug prices are one of the
world's most expensive) promotes jobs and research.
Initiating Sports Development Infrastructure generates jobs from
barangay to national level while promoting health. By focusing on
certain sports and being competitive in the international sports
arena, these endeavors will serve as an example to our youth to aspire
for sports excellence and sustain a healthy lifestyle. It is also a
natiomally unifying factor as you can observe from the Manny Pacquiao
experience.
To the masa, hunger is alleviated first before he thinks about his
health. Corporate agri and aqua and animal culture steeped in
mechanization and technology are anti hunger and promote food security
and productive land redistribution.
Distill Ghandi, Ho Cho Minh and Mandela and formulate a unifying
national vision. Distill Lee Kuan Yew and be tough and incorruptible
and LOOK, not WAIT for the best and the brightest to help you. Distill
Fidel Castro and emulate a relevant health care plan that will be the
world's envy and the Philippines' pride.
More open letters to follow, Mr President.
