MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) is preparing to deploy 24,381 health professionals to provinces and local government units (LGUs) next year as part of efforts to bring healthcare workers closer to communities and strengthen universal healthcare implementation.
Acting Health Secretary Edwin Mercado disclosed the target Friday during the Senate Committee on Finance hearing on the proposed 2027 budget of the DOH and its attached agencies.
“Meron po tayong naka-plano po na (We have planned the deployment of) 24,381 health professionals,” Mercado said, referring to the National Health Workforce Support System.
The program provides additional health professionals for deployment to provinces and LGUs, particularly areas that need additional personnel to augment their local health workforce.
Mercado said strengthening the health workforce is one of five pillars under the DOH’s Unified National Agenda for Health, which seeks to move universal healthcare “from policy to actual practice.”
He said health workers should also be given more career opportunities as the government expands the universal healthcare system.
“Talaga pong dapat po natin tulungan ang ating healthcare workforce at bigyan din po ng mga (We really have to support our healthcare workforce and give them) options in terms of their career,” Mercado said.
The workforce initiative will be complemented by improvements in the government’s medicine and vaccine supply chain, including plans to update digital systems, warehouses and cold-chain facilities to prevent wastage and preserve the quality of medical supplies.
The DOH is also seeking around PHP740 million to cover what Mercado described as validated appeals involving benefits of healthcare workers.
Under the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program, the DOH and its attached agencies have a budget of about PHP353.8 billion, equivalent to 4.9 percent of the proposed national budget and around 1.1 percent of projected gross domestic product.
The spending plan also covers prevention and health promotion, primary care, hospital services, digital transformation, and programs aimed at strengthening health institutions and the workforce. (PNA)
