Unfortunately, the health groups were dismayed by the health secretary’s proposed health budget, which, they said, was only half of what Ona himself earlier said was needed by the health department. The Aquino government has also snubbed their invitations for a dialogue. Instead, his administration, noted Dr. Gene Nisperos of HEAD, seems headed to continue the health deregulation implemented by administrations before him.
Subsidize Health Care and Prioritize Public Health
The health groups noted that the proposed budget of the Aquino government for health in 2011 contrasted with the Aquino boast that it is a “reform budget.” It only continues the previous government’s framework on public health care, which is privatization and deregulation, said the AHW in a press conference.
As such, instead of increasing the much needed budget of public hospitals to be of direct and immediate service to people in times of dengue epidemic as what we have now, it was even slashed.
In San Lazaro Hospital for example, one of the government hospitals established for disease prevention and control, the budget was cut from P343 million ($7.8 million) in 2009 to P313 million ($7.1 million) in 2010. Its budget was further trimmed to P307 million ($7.036 million) in 2011. Yet, noted Dr Gene Nisperos, the government seems to have an inkling of the real amount needed by a public hospital, as it gives its military hospital a one-billion-peso budget.
Dr. Jara also noted that problems and backlogs in mass housing and drainage system- all components of a coherent urban planning that should have been the government’s responsibility – also greatly affect the people’s battle against dengue and other epidemics. Even if the health department tries its best to educate the people to clean up our surroundings, an action that implicitly puts the blame on the people and the victims itself of dengue, and even if the people tries their best to cooperate, Dr Jara said, it alone will not resolve the people’s vulnerability to dengue and similar epidemics.
“No one from our fellow Filipinos would like to invite an epidemic,” said Dr. Jara. But what the people can do in the end is limited by their income and their environment. Dr Jara emphasized the leading role the health department should have been exerting for public health, and in combating dengue and other epidemics in the long-term.
For starters, Dr Jara reiterated the health group’s proposal to increase the government’s asking health budget for 2011 to P90 billion ($2.062 billion) at least. The health expenditure, CHD said, should have been P200-billion ($4.584 billion) if the Philippines listened to the World Health Organization’s prescription.
There should also be more health personnel especially in local government units (LGUs), said Dr. Jara, as she noted that if there is now a shortage of health personnel in public hospitals, the shortage has grown much worse in LGUs since the government’s devolution of health services.
As an immediate response to the dengue epidemic, the health groups asked the government to “subsidize health and emergency response to patients.” As it is now, they said the so-called ‘Dengue Express Lanes’ in hospitals “serve only to segregate dengue patients from other cases but do not guarantee quicker and more efficient service.”
“How can these sections accommodate the ever increasing swarm of patients when public hospitals remain ill-equipped and understaffed?” asked Dr. Jara. The deficient health care services of the government has been turning health care into a commodity available only to those with ability to pay, said Ibon in its study of the 2010 health budget.
If the current proposed health budget is not improved, the 2011 budget threatens to be a repeat performance of 2010 budget, and worse. “Whether the Aquino government admits it or not,” said Dr Jara, “the massive case of dengue mirrors a government that puts its people’s health behind debt servicing and military spending.” (Bulatlat.com)
