MANILA, Philippines — Exciting things are
afoot in the medical industry. In the heart of Quezon City will evolve a
medical belt like no other in Asia. An integrated chain of medical
institutions, each specializing in a specific field of discipline. From general
medicine to cardiology, from Nephrology, Pediatrics and Pulmonology.
The vision that started some 30 years ago will
now come to fruition, thanks to the headstrong determination of DOH Secretary
Enrique Ona and his chief coordinating officer, Dr. Nestor F. Venida. The
initial phase of the plan is to integrate the Philippine Heart Center, National
Kidney Institute, Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Children’s
Hospital and the East Avenue Medical Center. These institutions put together
make the Philippines a regional force to be reckoned with in as far as depth
and extent of medical services are concerned. No other country in the region
offers medical facilities of this scale in one connected belt.
Subsequently, the plan is to fold in the
Philippine Hematology Center, the National Brain and Nerve Institute (the first
medical institution to be built under the PPP scheme) and the National
Orthopedic Hospital. The latter is to be relocated from its current site to
Quezon City’s medical belt as well. All these will make the Philippines even
more competitive on a global scale.
When completed, the medical belt is said to be
branded “The Philippine Center for Specialized Healthcare.” The fact that the
DOH even talks about branding alludes to its direction to “sell” it as a hub
for medical tourism.
This is a welcome development given that the
Philippines is in desperate need of alternative sources of foreign exchange. At
present, the country is dangerously dependent on the electronics and BPO
industry (as sources revenues) and this leaves us defenseless against the
volatilities in these sectors. Having the medical industry develop into a new
source of revenue will do us good. We are, after all, known worldwide as highly
skilled healthcare workers with excellent bedside manners.
Getting
Integrated
The above-mentioned medical institutions were
built during the Marcos era and operate under separate sets of management and
operating systems. As government institutions, their respective by-laws mandate
them to allocate a substantial chunk of their business to charity cases. As a
result, none of them are financially self-sufficient today. Each still relies
on government subsidies to cover anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of their
operating expenses. Each varies in the degree of financial health, with the
Lung Center in the best position, thanks to the prudent fiscal management of
its executive director, Dr. Jose Luis Danguilan. Still, none of them can afford
to finance equipment upgrades or facilities modernization on their own.
Secretary Ona’s plan, originally based on Dr.
Venida’s thesis, calls for the eradication of expense duplicities. Duplicities
can come in the form of common use equipment like x-ray machines, lab
equipment, ambulances, etc., as well as backroom functions such as accounting,
human resources, engineering and security. All these translate to tremendous savings
that can otherwise be channeled to new equipment, new technologies, and above
all, research.
As far as management is concerned, the
integration envisions a single Board of Trustees to govern the entire medical
belt, as opposed to the current framework where each unit operates separately.
Not only will this generate savings in management fees, it also fosters more
coherence, better coordination and better administration of the country’s
medical program.
Sources tell us that the integration plan
enjoys the full support of Malacañang and that it is being pushed for full
execution before President Aquino ends his term in 2016. But as expected,
certain parties are in opposition. We were told that some members of top
management from affected hospitals are in strong resistance, as are many rank
and file employees. Dr. Ona and his team still face a tough road ahead in
gaining widespread buy-in of the plan.
While the good Secretary does his best not to
displace anyone, the reality is full integration will always have its
casualties. Those redundant, irrelevant and less competent will have to give up
their turf in the name of greater efficiency and progress. I can only hope that
the personalities involved will take the high road and support whatever is best
for the country. This, after all, is the true essence of public service.
The
Benefits Of Integration
The biggest beneficiary of the integration
plan is us, the Filipino people. At long last, we will be given access to the
best possible medical care without having to leave our shores.
As far as the poorest of the poor are
concerned, they too will have access to world-class medical care, more so after
integration than with the present setup. Despite being mandated to service the
marginalized sector, less than 20 percent of patients in the QC medical belt
are actually charity cases. This is because government subsidies only cover a
fraction of their operating expense and hospitals still need to generate their
own revenues to keep afloat. The integration plan aims to put our medical
institutions in the pink of health (by slashing overhead expenses), and with
this comes the ability to absorb more charity cases.
Cheaper medical care is yet another benefit.
Economies of scale in the purchase of consumables like medical supplies and
drugs are seen to drive prices down. Savings from this will be passed on to the
consumer via cheaper toll charges. In addition, a centralized medical database
will greatly reduce HMO and Philhealth fraud, a problem that is quite rampant
today.
Finally, the financial benefits that medical
tourism can bring are enormous. When fully realized, the entire medical belt
will have the capacity to treat practically all kinds of maladies, save for
mental illness, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The spectrum of care is
far and wide.
The
Original Vision
Imelda had a vision 30 years ago, but
unfortunately her plan was not structured in a manner that made economic sense.
Sec. Ona and Dr. Venida have a chance to do it over…a chance to do it right.
Executed well, the Philippines can very well be the medical capital of Asia and
the center of research as Imelda originally planned.
Dr. Venida dreams of a Philippines on the
cutting edge of nano-technology and stem cell treatment. These fields, he
asserts, are the wave of the future and nothing would make him happier than to
see the Philippines in the center of it all.
With the integration now on its way, the
Filipino has a chance to be famed not only for his excellent domestic care…but
also as a provider of state-of-the-art health services.
ANDREW JAMES MASIGAN
MB.com.ph
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