Road Map to Kalusugang Pangkalahatan (KP), gears off in Camarines Sur

by Lizel S. Macatangay

NAGA City, Oct. 28 (PIA) -- Embarking on a vision where the poorest of the poor can have an easy access to public health services and be given indispensable preventive health care, President Benigno Aqjuino III had put on top of his health agenda a clear roadmap towards the achievement of the Universal Health Care Program, especially for the members of the marginalized sector of the society.

This was the main agenda during the Kalusugang Pangkalahatan (KP) Technical Working Group meeting held at the Phil Health Office here this morning which endeavors to seek avenues on how to effectively deliver the basic health services to the less fortunate families through the collaboration of various stakeholders and partner agencies.

Dr. Arnie Carandang, Department of Health (DOH) Representative for Districts IV and V in Camarines Sur emphasized the urgent need to address primordial issues concerning maternal and child health, delivery of basic health services, current healthcare financing mechanisms which have not been able to adequately provide financial risk protection for the poor and other quandaries surrounding the achievement of the Philippine’s Millennium Development Goal (MDG) commitment by 2015.

Kalusugang Pangkalahatan or Universal Health Care sits on three phases of implementation; the Launch Phase which started last August 2011 until December this year, the preparation for the Scale-Up Phase in 2012 and the Scale-Up Phase from 2012 to 2013.

The launch phase includes three (3) strategic thrusts: Financial Risk Protection which endeavors to enroll 4.89 Million of the poorest National Household Targetting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) households, including those 4Ps to the National Health Insurance Sponsored Program NHIP. Under this direction, 10,000 RNHeals s will also be trained as trainers and supervisors to capacitate community volunteers.

The enhancement of heath facilities, contained in the second strategic thrust covers the upgrading of 20% of DOH retained hospitals, 46 percent of provincial hospitals and 51% of Rural Health Units. This is well within the premise that well-equipped hospitals will deliver quality health service to its patients. 4Ps beneficiaries will also be given treatment packs for hypertension and diabetes to lessen their burden on where to find money to sustain the said medications.

Also posing a great challenge to the health providers is the attainment of the health-related MDGs before 2015.

In the upcoming months, the TWG composed of representatives from the Philippine Information Agency-Camarines Sur, Provincial Health Office, Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and PhilHealth will convene to realize the realization of Kalusugang Pangkalahatan – a comprehensive health coverage enjoyed by all Filipinos. (LSM, PIA Camarines Sur)