CEBU CITY, Philippines―The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) will hold a public hearing from July 10 to 11 to craft the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Universal Health Care Law.
Assistant Heakth Secretary Abdullah Dumama Jr. said the public hearing would settle several issues on how the law would be implemented.
“Katulad nung special health fund, sino ang mangangalaga nun? Saan manggagaling yun? Papano natin malalaman na walang kurapsyon dyan? Papano natin mababantayan yan? Sino ang magbabantay?” Dumama said.
(On the issue of the special health fund for instance, who will manage it? Where will the funds come from? How do we know that there is no corruption? How do we check it? Who will check the fund?)
The Universal Health Care Law or Republic Act No. 11223 seeks to give all Filipino health care coverage and benefits.
Under the law, Filipinos will be automatically enrolled in the proposed National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) either as direct contributor or indirect contributor.
Direct contributors are defined as those “who can pay health premiums” while indirect contributors are the sponsored ones which include indigents and senior citizens.
The law also aims to expand the PhilHealth coverage to include free consultation tests and other diagnostic services.
This existence of the law also allows Filipino residents to avail of primary health care services even without Philhealth identification cards.
READ: Universal health care now a law
According to Dumama, the public hearing on July 10 to 11 is expected to be attended by different stakeholders including representatives from different local government units (LGUs), health care facilities and professionals.
Key officials of DOH will also be present.
On Tuesday morning, July 2, Dumama attended the oath-taking ceremony of 1,800 rehired and newly-hired nurses, dentists and midwives of DOH-7 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in Lahug, Cebu City.
Dumama said the hiring of additional health professionals is part of the preparation for the full implementation of the Universal Health Care Law.
Dr. Jaime Bernadas, regional director of DOH-7, told CDN Digital that the newly-hired health professionals would be deployed in different barangays throughout the region.
Bernadas said they will be prioritizing geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) in deploying their personnel. / celr