DOH: Healthcare act opens new chapter in health system reform

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. Photo by NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) welcomed the passage of the Universal Healthcare Act (UHC,) saying that it marked “a new chapter in the reform” of the country’s health system.

READ: Universal healthcare now a law

In a statement issued on Wednesday, moments after President Rodrigo Duterte officially signed the measure into law, the DOH described the UHC as “both a vision and a commitment to the health of all Filipinos by providing the full range of high-quality health care services.”

“Health is everybody’s business. Health systems only work when everyone works together to ensure that no one is left behind,” DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

According to the DOH, the signing of the UHC Act “is a remarkable achievement as it marks the beginning of a new chapter in the reform of the Philippines healthcare system.”

“These include operationalizing primary health care and mainstreaming health promotion to protect people from disease, empowering individuals and communities to maintain good health, and supporting effective management of illness and disability,” the DOH added.

The DOH also mentioned that it had been actively pushing for a higher excise tax on tobacco and alcohol to ensure that “this comprehensive and long-term reform” could be implemented. /atm

READ: DOH pushes for higher tobacco taxes to fund Universal Health Care