Sara Duterte wants faster implementation of Universal Healthcare Law

Sara Duterte-Carpio. Photo from: Lakas-CMD

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines — Vice presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio lamented Wednesday the “slow” implementation of the Universal Healthcare (UHC) Law.

Speaking before nurses and medical frontliners in Batangas City, Duterte-Carpio said that while the UHC is a beneficial measure, it is a “very big challenge” for local government units to bring it to their constituents.

“Ang laki din ng dapat gawin pa ng government, unang una na ang Universal Healthcare Act. It is already a law, but ang bagal ng implementation ng batas,” Duterte-Carpio said.

(The government still has a lot to do, firstly, the Universal Healthcare Act. It is already a law but the implementation of the measure has been slow.)

“Ang daming mga reforms na supposedly dapat nandoon, but it’s either mabagal o hindi pa nasisimulan,” she added.

(There are a lot of reforms that are supposedly there, but it’s either slowly implemented or not started at all.)

Duterte-Carpio said issues in implementing the UHC Law are also experienced in Davao City, where she currently serves as mayor.

“Even in our city, the local government of Davao City, hirap kami [on] how to operationalize the UHC and hindi namin alam kung saan kami magsisimula,” Duterte-Carpio said.

(Even in our city, the local government of Davao City, we have a hard time operationalizing the UHC and we do not know where to start.)

“We are trying our best na ma-implement yung Universal Healthcare Act. Napakaganda nung batas, and it is a very big challenge for local government units na aming ibaba ‘yung mga pwedeng gawin at pwedeng makatulong sa ating mga kababayan,” she added.

(We are trying our best to implement the Universal Healthcare Act. The measure is good and it is a very big challenge for local government units bringing it to the ground.)

Duterte-Carpio said the Davao City government has started its discussions with the Department of Health and government hospitals for the operationalization of the UHC Law in the next two to three years.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Universal Health Care Law which seeks to give all Filipinos health care coverage and benefits in February 2019.

Under the law, Filipinos will be automatically enrolled in the proposed National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) either as direct contributor or indirect contributor.

/MUF