Sixth Edition of The Blog Rounds: Philippine Healthcare System

A few weeks back, there was this CNN special where Dr. Sanjay Gupta discussed the health care system of the USA and how it pales in comparison to that of the other countries like France, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Italy. USA? Paling in comparison? What about OUR health care system? Would it look utterly anemic or deathly pale in comparison then?

France, according to the World Health Organization, have the best health care system in the world. What's WHO's criteria? That for a health care system to be considered 'ideal', each and every citizen of that country should have access to health services, or at least the basic health services. Each and every citizen includes the unemployed, those who live on the streets, in prison, retired, whomever.

The Philippines ranks 60. Yes, 60. Our neighboring countries who fared way better than us are Singapore (4), Thailand (47), and Malaysia (49). But we fared better than India (112), Indonesia (92), and China (144). But that's not any consolation because we know, we are still FAR behind. Why is this the case then?

In relation, let me introduce our theme for the 6th Edition of the The Blog Rounds.

Philippine Healthcare System: Why is it far from the ideal?

This is about the social/cultural/political (maybe even spiritual) issues (or causes) that you can think of why our health care system is far from being ideal?

Bakit hindi lahat ng Filipino na may sakit o gustong magpatingin sa doktor ay natitignan ng doktor?

Where is the GAP? Is it the health budget? Our politicians or legislators? Is this government incapacitating us to deliver basic health services to every Filipino?

Or maybe, there is also something wrong among us medical practitioners? Those physicians who treat their pockets more than they treat their patients illness? On the other end of the spectrum, do we have overworked, underpaid health care workers, who in turn, can't give ideal health service? What about the Philippine Medical Association? Yeah, what is its role in all of these?

What about our patients? Is it really just about the extreme poverty in this country that prevents our patients from seeking health services or is it MORE than that? Like skewed priorities?

For those who practise/train in other countries, we would really appreciate hearing your analysis as to why we are far behind, in comparison? Both in terms of the system and the people behind it.

Please be radicals , activist or advocates of change, if possible. No holds barred. No censorship. Just give it to us, at face value, ano ang bulok o MALI sa sistema (kung may sistema man)? Bakit marami pa ring Pilipino ang namamatay na di natitignan ng doktor? O kung natignan man ng doktor, di nabibigyan ng karampatang lunas?

So that just in case Secretary Duque or our President, or any body who is in power to do something, runs into any of our posts, they might just wake up and realized what's wrong. And start doing something, of course.

Please send the URLs or links to your posts to merricherri[at]gmail[dot]com on or before April 21, 2007 at 5:00 pm (Philippine time). Or just leave a comment in my blog and I will come visit your page.

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The topic for this edition of The Blog Rounds was originally laid back but Dr. Ness of At Random Ness did a great job of hosting the best laid back topic ever -- I know what you did last summer. Thanks to Pinoy MD though, because coming up with a new topic was an easy fit when I came across its forums. The topic for this 6th edition of TBR was inspired by the thread Grand Challenges in Philippine Medicine.