WE WORK to the bones in order to achieve our goals, aspirations and dreams. Sometimes we even deprive ourselves of sleep in order to finish pet projects or reports, not minding the costs of losing too much sleep In favour of things we need to do and accomplish. We often take for granted regular physical checkups claiming these could wait for another time. Dolly de Leon, a now renowned actress, said it succinctly: Suffering is an option in life and it is one’s option to keep it. I have known people who have suffered long illnesses, moved in and out of hospitals and clinics. Few survived and others died. Their story continues and the suffering persists. It is good if the family is prepared for the massive expenses dovetailing the illnesses of family members. It is bad and miserable if the family members do not have the resources to fund the care, maintenance, medines and other procedures of the family’s patient. Really, illnesses take the better of us mentally, physically, emotionally. # # # It’s good and timely for us all that we now have the Universal Health Care law where everyone of us can avail ourserlves of its benefits. Some of us have the health cards from private insttutions like Maxicare, Medicare and health insurances. Philhealth can supplement our health requirements and those of us who have foreseen such eventuality as health issues can avail themselves of other benefits which could alleviate our health needs. Some public institutions such as the JBL Memorial Genera; Hospital in the City of San Fernando can e accessed in case of illnesses. There, reports say, commendable facilities are available to address one’s health issues. It is allegedly a model of how public health care institutions should be run.