MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday stated that he intended to have more public-private tie-ups in the healthcare sector to expand access to higher-quality health services in the country.
Marcos said during a meeting with representatives of the healthcare cluster of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) at Malacañang Palace that a public-private partnership coupled with strong third-party assessments would “address efficiency concerns in dealing with the health needs of Filipinos.”
He also ordered the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to study the “best practices” on improving health insurance operations and offering health benefits through digitalization initiatives.
The DOH launched in 2019 its first public-private partnership project which targets to strengthen the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law.
Entice nurses to stay
Marcos renewed his call to look for ways to entice Filipino nurses and other health professionals to stay in the country
“You can’t hold people back from a better life, a better future… It’s fair that you provide scholarships. We just have to find ways to keep them here,” he said.
He previously backed a proposal to adopt a “ladderized” program to address the “brain drain” among nurses in the country.
A ladderized programs enable students to complete a short course, go out and work, and then return for a more advanced course or college degree.
Marcos also supported the passage of House Bill 9389 or the New Philippine Nursing Practice Act which aims to institute reforms to further protect and develop the nursing profession in the country.
According to Department of Health (DOH) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the government is looking at “bilateral partners” to provide scholarship programs for medical students and professionals.
“Part of these discussions would be that with our bilateral relationships… we will have exchange programs or exchange conditions,” Vergeire said.
Enhancing scholarship programs for Filipino healthcare workers, she said, is also crucial to addressing the concerns in the healthcare workforce.
