Bongbong Marcos OKs DOH bid for Universal Health Care coordinating body
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the proposal to create a body that will oversee the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa disclosed this Tuesday during a press briefing in Malacañang, noting that the Department of Health (DOH) proposed the establishment of the Universal Health Care Coordinating Council due to the country’s fragmented healthcare infrastructure.
FILE PHOTO: Department of Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa attends the sectoral meeting presided over by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Malacaٌnang. Photo by Yummie Dingding/ PPA POOL
“The President approved the Department of Health’s proposal of creating a Universal Health Care Coordinating Council through an executive order. So, we would be crafting and drafting this,” he said.
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Herbosa explained that the council will include DOH and the Departments of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Information And Communications Technology (DICT), and Budget and Management (DBM), Finance (DOF), as well as the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and Professional Regulation Commission, among others.
“We will standardize the health policies. The council will serve as a national governance body that will oversee the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act nationwide, the project and estimate the total national cost for UHC. Also, implementation of the Universal Health Care at the local government level,” the DOH chief said.
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He added that concerns or issues in the UHC Act implementation may also be raised before the body.
Herbosa noted that the Local Government Code of 1991 decentralized the country’s healthcare system, which the UHC Act was trying to integrate again since its passage.
Herbosa said 71 local government units have pledged to merge their healthcare scheme with the UHC system.
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