What is Universal Health Coverage?

Universal Health Coverage is a powerful idea that everyone in the world can access medical aid without payment. It is about providing healthcare to even the most remote areas in the world so that life and happiness can be improved across the planet. It will make sure that people do not suffer or die from diseases that could have otherwise be treatable were it not due to infrastructure or location. UHC aims to improve awareness about the situation other people face and to provide aid both in the present and in the future. Being a rich country is not a requirement for Universal Healthcare.

UHC helps the poor by providing them health services so that they may have a better chance at life. It helps them by providing for their children’s health. It also eases the burden upon their shoulders so that they can focus better on caring for their family and neighbors. Finally, it provides for them the services that should be attainable by all living beings. It gives them a healthier and happier life.

However, UHC may stop people from being careful about their health. It may limit the accuracy of patient care. It may have long wait times which may limit service. It requires significant budgeting skills on the part of the government.

It will be a great system so long as the government is unable to use it as an excuse for dominance and surveillance on the populace. It is because ensuring that people are treated equally and with love and respect is the basis of the saying; “Love your neighbor as you would love yourself.”

Health Problems of the Poor

In the Philippines, there is a history of unfair and unequal access to health services that significantly affects the poor as the government spends little on public healthcare. The country has a high maternal and newborn mortality rate, as well as a high fertility rate. This creates problems for those who have limited access to this basic care or for those living in poor health conditions. Filipinos constantly face diseases such as Tuberculosis, Dengue, Malaria and HIV/AIDS. These diseases pair with protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies that are becoming increasingly common. Philippine Healthcare is hampered by a shortage of human medical resources, especially doctors. Private facilities provide a better quality of care than the public facilities where lower income families usually go to. The public facilities tend to be in rural areas that are more rundown. These facilities have fewer medical staff and inferior supplies. Only 30% of health professionals employed by the government address the health needs of the majority, the remaining 70% of health professionals work in the more expensive private sectors. To compensate for the inequality, a program called Doctors to the Barrios and the private sector decided to build nine cancer centers, eight heart centers and seven transplant centers in regional medical centers. The Doctors to the Barrios included Public-Private Partnerships in a plan to modernize the government-owned hospitals and provide more up-to-date medical supplies. More than 3,500 public health facilities were updated across the country due to this plan.

REFERENCE:

Kenworthy, K. (2017). 10 Shocking Facts about Health Care in the Philippines. Retrieved April 2019 from https://borgenproject.org/healthcare-in-the-philippines/