CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) -- Local chief executives and health professionals commit to integrate the province-wide health system to ramp up the implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC) in Pampanga.
The 21 mayors inked a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with health professionals for Pampanga United for Streamlining Health towards UHC.
In her message during the ceremony, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire lauded the provincial government for bringing health services closer to every household, as she stressed that primary health care is the key to UHC.
For her part, UHC Provincial Focal Person Renely Tungol said in signing the MOA, the local chief executives committed to take a common direction to make the UHC work for the people in Pampanga.
“This allows us also to gather data, strategically plan the health of all Kapampangans in all municipalities and cities here in the province to achieve better health outcomes,” she cited.
She added that Pampanga has attained 83 percent local health system maturity level, making it number one among seven Central Luzon provinces in terms of functionality as of January 2024.
Department of Health Central Luzon Center for Health Development Regional Director Corazon Flores highlighted the importance of convergence in providing people-centered health services and improving people’s health.
“The truth remains that for us to resolve our local health problems, we must know them, embrace them, and commit to managing and solving them. In this end, we hope that this activity will reflect the true essence of being a local health leader, that is being a health advocate, a game-changer, an innovator, and a true people’s champion for health,” she said.
Vice Governor Lilia Pineda, meanwhile, also stressed that the active participation of local executives will guarantee the equitable access of poor Kapampangans to quality and affordable health care legislated through Republic Act No. 11223, otherwise known as the UHC Act of 2019.
“Mayors, you are indispensable here in the Universal Health Care law. If you won't help or support this law, it will be useless. This law is beautiful. You don't have to pay anything. PhilHealth will cover all indigent people," she said.
Pineda also vowed to continuously intensify preventive health care among cities and municipalities by providing machines needed for chemistry laboratories for early detection of illnesses such as pneumonia and tumors.
Aside from this, the provincial government has enacted an ordinance supporting UHC and has approved P100 million as its provincial health budget for 2024.
It also continuously conducts the Alagang Nanay Preventive Health Care Program which provides free medical consultations and laboratory tests for heart diseases, cancers, hypertension, and diabetes.
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation announced that effective February 14, it will increase its case rates coverage to 30%.
The UHC law automatically enrolled the citizens into the National Health Insurance Program and expanded PhilHealth coverage to include free medical consultations and laboratory tests. (CLJD/MJSC-PIA 3)
