Why the Philippines Health System sucks

Last night before falling asleep, I have managed to keep myself up for another episode of The Correspondents. The Correspondents, by the way, is a Tuesday night News and Current Affairs program of ABSCBN. It documents topics that range from poverty-stricken localities to alleged corruption to the atrocities of war and anything under the sun. The topic of last night's the health provisions to local barangays (county) which is somewhat alarmingly pathetic and poor. There is this barangay in Binangonan, Rizal, where there is not one single health care center to cater to the needs of the people - not even first aid kit. To make things worse, it's an-hour-and-a-half ride via boat to get to the town proper. It strikes me as a health worker of this third world country - not because I'm romanticizing poverty and ill-managed health care system, but because there is something that we can do, not at least personally. There is this woman, who is apparently suffering from breast ailment. Her left breast has enlarged inflammation that shows pus and blood. She is not able to see a single physician. I guess that was breast cancer already. When the mayor is interviewed, he just said he wasn't informed and appeared to have blamed the people for not telling him. Talk about public service.

On the other hand, there is this municipality, which I cant anymore remember, where they serve as a mini-hospital to the community. Here's the catch: they have a much lesser annual budget compared to that of Binangonan. How they managed to provide adequate and accessible health service is amazing. They have labor and delivery and they even confine patients who may need not-so-serious medical interventions. You know what I mean.

The degradation of Philippine health system is alarming and is getting worse by the day. You see, health services are people's right, not merely a political blessing. Since the devolution of health care system from the national to local government (or LGUs), it's getting gloomy. I bet people in the legislature should think about it and consider making amends to the damage this has done to the Filipino public. I remember a public health professor back in college, who has been very vocal about her disgrunt over the devolution: health care, she says, would only become a political circus and people would be victims. You see, with the current health system, budget appropriation depends on the local governemnt. That means, if the mayor doesn't really approved of health care maintenance in his locality, people suffer and so their health. Some politicians would even use this for corruption and political campaign.

I guess it's high time already for the congress to move back the administration to national government. Health care is getting worse, and when people's suffer and so efficiency and so is economy.