PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. will push for the construction of more specialty hospitals in the provinces and in highly urbanized cities as part of their plan to improve the healthcare system in the country after he wins in the scheduled May 9 elections this year.
During the town hall meeting held recently in Marikina City, Marcos said he wants to emulate his father, the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. who was behind the creation of specialty hospitals in the country like the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Children’s Medical Center and the likes.
“’Yung mga specialty hospital kailangan talaga dagdagan. Nakita naman natin ‘yung mga specialty hospitals, ‘yung Kidney Center, ‘yung Heart Center, Lung Center, Children’s hospital napakinabangan natin ng husto ‘yun,” he said.
“Kung wala ‘yan saan natin dadalhin ‘yung mga pasyente natin nagka-Covid,” Marcos answered when asked by a physician, Dr. George Quimzon, if the advocacy of his father to build more specialty hospitals, will continue if he wins the presidency
“Nakita ko rin, kulang, at nagulat nga ako walang tinayo ang gobyerno na bagong malaking ospital since 1985, kaya naman nakikita ninyo kulang na kulang na eh,” he said.
“Ilan na tayo, 106 milyon na ang population ng Pilipinas, at siyempre mas marami ang pangangailangan, kaya’t specialty hospitals hindi na dapat lang sa Maynila, dapat pati sa iba’t ibang lugar,” Marcos added.
Apart from specialty hospitals, Marcos said he will also push for the construction of more tertiary hospitals around the country to avoid congestion of patients especially in time of pandemic like Covid-19.
“Umpisahan natin sa tertiary level hospital kasi meron mga lugar na wala pang tertiary hospital ‘yung mga pasyente nila nung Covid itinatakbo pa sa regional hospital ang layo-layo,” he also said.
“Lagi namang puno, kaya’t kailangan siguro ‘yun ang kailangan natin ibaba, ‘wag natin nilalagay dun sa kung saan sa malayo na hindi mapuntahan ng pasyente, kailangan ibaba natin ‘yung healthcare, ibaba natin sa tao,” Marcos said.
The presidential frontrunner also assured the public that he will push for the health insurance of the people and the improvement in the service of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
“’Yung health insurance talaga, dun ang bagsak para meron silang pagkukuhanan, ‘yung senior citizen man, ‘yung bata, kahit sino, dapat talaga diyan family-based. ‘Yung Philhealth ay hindi na masyadong magandang patakbo, kaya’t kailangan talaga natin ayusin ‘yan, may pera naman eh,” Marcos said.
He also said that apart from hospital, he will promote and improve the Regional Health Unit system in the country as he is planning to add more clinics in all barangays.
“Ang gustong-gusto ko ‘yung konsepto ng RHU, dapat mayroon kada clustered barangay, kada barangay may maliit na clinic, ‘yang clinic na ‘yan binibisita ng doctor, ng nurse at ng midwife mga dalawa o tatlong beses sa isang linggo,” Marcos said.
Marcos insisted that before implementing all the healthcare plans, the country must recover first from the crisis brought by Covid-19. (PR)