SONGSOPTOK INTERVIEW WITH HELEN SARITA (April 2016)

 SONGSOPTOK

INTERVIEW WITH HELEN SARITA

HEALTHCARE – A RIGHT OR A PRIVILEGE?

SONGSOPTOK: Do you consider primary healthcare to be a fundamental right? Is it deemed as such in the society you live in? Please explain your answer with a few examples if possible.

HELEN SARITA:  My answer is yes. I definitely consider every human being has the right to a standard of living adequate of health. In my own observation, without being updated with our government’s latest program for health, our society is now enjoying healthcare programs like what we called Philhealth.

SONGSOPTOK: What is the system of healthcare in the country and the society you live in? Is it a just and equitable system in the sense that all citizens enjoy the same benefits across economic and social classes?

HELEN SARITA:   In previous years, only the employed people benefited from this kind of program. Employers have to contribute a certain amount to be remitted to the Philhealth Office for their employees' healthcare is a government mandate. But it doesn’t mean when one is confined, he/she will enjoy totally free hospitalization. Family members of the Philhealth cardholder aging not more than sixty (60) years old can enjoy the benefits too as beneficiaries. A certain amount is shouldered by Philhealth and the rest from the patient's pocket, especially if they are confined in private hospitals. Most ordinary people and a higher class of society go to private hospitals as they are being taken care of well compared to government hospitals where many patients attend to. Some patients lay on beds in the hospital's hallway as there are no rooms to accommodate them.

Now, the government was enhancing the health program after the year 2000. I might not be accurate with the date or year, but I was aware that the government introduced Philhealth to the indigent people, and it became a big help to the less fortunate ones.

SONGSOPTOK: Do you think that free healthcare cannot be a right, but it can be a privilege and a shared burden of sacrifice for the sake of the social contract?

HELEN SARITA:   As I have answered in the first question, it must be a right of every individual to enjoy free healthcare. I remember I had spoken to one Internist when I was a medical representative. During my coverage, it was like in the year 2005. I am just setting his words as an example. He is already a Physician by profession, but he is taking up nursing to work abroad. I asked him why there are a lot of Physicians in our country nowadays taking up nursing. He set his patients as an example. The senior citizen here in our country finds difficult to sustain themselves in seeing Doctors when they have health issues for financial reason. They need to ask assistance from their children in situations with health regards. Unlike rich countries like the United States of America and Europe, they have no issues. That was what they were after to why they want to go out to work abroad. When given a chance, people in our country would work in big and rich countries for health security reasons.

SONGSOPTOK: What, in your opinion, should be the role of the government for ensuring equal healthcare to all citizens? What role is played by the government of the country you live in?

HELEN SARITA:  In my own little opinion, the government should firstly prioritize health above all. Education is also a must, but every student in society is affected by their studies when their family members are unhealthy. In fairness to our government and its higher officials, they have brilliant ideas for the people. I salute the great ideas they shared with people as they compete with both platforms. All ideas connect to each other. Health programs or any programs implemented by the government need sincere and active action. We need to enhance our service to the people to compete with other countries. I don’t believe we couldn’t make it, especially if we keep our eyes on controlling corrupt governance. All we need is loyal and honest officials to have healthy people mentally and physically.

SONGSOPTOK: According to the data published by World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 16 000 children under the age of 5 die every day in the world (5.9 million in 2015) from infectious, neonatal, or nutritional conditions. Is this a reality in the country you live in? If so, what would your suggestions of improvement be?

HELEN SARITA:    I am answering this question so late at night. I can’t search for the specific number of children dying daily due to such illness in our country. I can only see how health workers religiously work for this. When I got the time watching television, I can sense they are so active with their service, and I believe we have minimal cases like this or just average. DOH is trying to raise greater heights in their program towards inspection, and in fact, we need to follow a lot with their strict implementation about infection control. One example of their mandates is putting hand sanitizers in a hospital lobby and hallways. This is just one of the programs of the infection control team. If there is an improvement, I would suggest that they reach places to educate small communities about cleanliness.

SONGSOPTOK: “Free access to healthcare is a fundamental human right. Access to free healthcare is not” – do you agree with this statement? Please explain your choice.

HELEN SARITA:   Free access to healthcare is apparently not only my choice but a choice of everyone. Health is wealth, so no matter how wealthy a person is, if they have poor health, it is his/her health that will consume his wealth. It is always a right for every human being to enjoy our beautiful world, and we can only enjoy it if we are in good health and in good spirit.

SONGSOPTOK: How important is the private sector's role in providing healthcare and related facilities in your country? What is your opinion about it?

HELEN SARITA:   As I mentioned earlier, the private sector must contribute a certain amount as mandated by our country's law. Yet, besides this benefit, some big companies give health insurance to their employees renewable every year.  It’s a big thing already for the employees that their employers show them this kind of concern which significant to every family.

SONGSOPTOK: Are charitable and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) active in the domain of public health? If yes, then in what spheres? Do you think that civil society, either independently or through these organizations, should become the prime actor for ensuring healthcare for all?

HELEN SARITA:   Yes, charitable institutions and NGOs play actively in the domain of public health. But we could not rely fully upon them as the prime actor for ensuring healthcare for all. They can only be a helping arm of society and are not obliged to do what the government’s responsibility is towards its countrymen's health.

SONGSOPTOK: Do you think that multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare companies are responsible, to a certain extent, for the widely variable quality of healthcare in different countries? Can you please illustrate your reply with some examples?

HELEN SARITA:  Yes, they can be of great help and partly responsible, not absolutely responsible. We can’t deny the fact that they are running these companies for business. If the government in different countries could tie-up with them in return while they have a business in each country they are in, this could be possible. For example, they can make business in our country tax-free. They will give good prices affordable to people or companies interested in their products and services for healthcare and medicines for pharmaceuticals.

SONGSOPTOK: Do you think that adopting the Social Security model implemented in many countries in Europe, which ensures primary health coverage to all citizens and is financed by the working population's totality, can be relevant and efficient in all countries?

HELEN SARITA:  I strongly believe we need to adopt this Social Security model implemented in these big and rich countries. This is indeed efficient in all countries, and this kind of concept is what we long for to have in our very own country Philippines. We can stay in our country very much contently and no worries about going when illness will one day visit us. Some are afraid to go to hospitals because of the pains brought by needles but because of pockets' pain.

My husband got a stroke ten (10) years ago, and he is coming in and out to the hospital. I really spend such an amount of money when he has a seizure and advised him to be confined. I need to spare the amount for his regular check-up, maintenance, and laboratories when his physician advised. This will be a less burden anymore if we adopt the Social Security model implemented in countries like Europe, America, and other rich countries.