Vision for A Better Health Care System in Our Country

Posting something from an event last year again. I have lots to post other than this, but I cannot get over the things I learned during last year's 1st Health Bloggers Meet - Kapit-bisig para sa Kalusugan Pangkalahatan: Iulat, Ipahayag, at Isulong. This was a collaborative effort of The Philippine Health Bloggers Society, International Youth Council Pilipinas and HealthActivist.ph.

There were a lot of things to learn from the whole day event and I cannot get over them until I share them, or at least some of them because it was information overload really, so here goes.

One of the speakers of the event was Ms. Monia Geaga, Secretary General of SARILAYA (seated in the image below). In her presentation titled Universal Healthcare in the context of Human Rights, she presented 7 human rights principles which should be used to determine the goals and measure the success of health care programs.These are as follows: Participation, Accountability, Non-Discrimination, Transparency, Human Dignity, Empowerment and Rule of Law or PANTHER for short.

She also showed us the benefits of the people's health care system through community-managed health plans (CMHPs). We were also shown a chart of the existing health care system that we already have in our country. All I can say is, it looked like a mess and it was obvious that since the organization itself was a mess then the delivery of health care programs to communities is also slow and even non-existent in some areas. 

Also, a major part of our current health care system's focus is on building infrastructures (hospitals and hospital equipment) for treating those who are already ill instead of putting focus on preventive health care so that there will be fewer cases of illness. This is where CMHPs become important, as they become a vital source for spreading and implementing health and fitness practices. They also become the source of first aid and treatment so that hospitals are not overloaded with patients.  

I never realized that the health care system in our country had such complicated issues. It's not as simple as getting a higher government budget. I am thankful that the people in SARILAYA are working to reform this system for the better. There are other people who are doing this as well. The passion and knowledge they have for their mission should be harnessed by the government to inform their health care programs.

One of the things that made a deep impression on me was a short film clip showing a hospital where patients go in and avail of all hospital services for free because their taxes have already paid for it. In fact, the cashier does not receive cash, he gives money to those patients who need transportation fare for going home after delivering a baby or after being treated.

Compare that to our hospitals here where you need to sign documents first and pay before you are even checked by the doctor. The short clip made me wish the same thing was available in the Philippines too. 

I was surprised to learn that this kind of health care system is what Cubans are currently enjoying. This is indeed a health care system where humanity comes first. 

What we can do for now is to support activities and endeavors that seek to better our health care system in the future. That includes learning and practicing other healing modalities (energy healing, physical fitness, healthy eating, etc.) aside from Western medicine so that the government is forced to support these kinds of health care programs instead. The benefit for us is less hospital cost and better health.

To start with healing our bodies, we need to practice a balanced lifestyle and of course healthy eating. That will be the topic for my next post, still from some of the things I learned from this very informative day last year. See you next post. :-)