The next administration should focus on the implementation and strategies of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act, the the Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Vergerie, citing the importance of UHC amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said the DOH will present to the next president what course of action still needs to be done.
“We would be providing our soon to be president, first the universal health care. Its strategies and implementation goals. Yun po ang ibibigay natin sa kanya (We would be providing our soon to be president, first the universal health care. Its strategies and
implementation goals. That is what we will give him.),” Vergerie said in a news briefing. Willie Casas
In February 2019, President Duterte signed into law the UHC Act, which guarantees that all Filipinos will have equal access to quality and affordable goods and services in healthcare.
Under the law, all Filipino citizens are automatically enrolled in the National Health Insurance Program as direct contributors or those who can pay premiums, and indirect contributors sponsored by the government such as indigents and senior citizens.
Vergerie said that they would also be endorsing strategies for the pandemic response, adding that the DOH plans to “live with the coronavirus disease” by vaccinating more people and implementing minimum public health protocols.
“So, unang-una nandyan ang ating Center for Disease Control (CDC) na bill na pinapapasa sa Kongreso at Senado kung saan ma-restructure ang DOH na magkaroon tayo ng institution kung saan ito ang ating sasandalan pagdating sa pandemya, infectious disease, research, data and surveillance sa ating bansa (So, first of all there is our Center for Disease Control (CDC) bill that is being passed in the Congress and Senate, where the DOH can be restructured so that we have an institution we can lean on when it comes to pandemics, infectious diseases, research, data and surveillance in our country.),” she said.