DOH-CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo on Thursday urged health workers to start modifying concepts, change the rules and start fixing the Philippine Public Health System Towards a CALABAZON Prime during the first Regional City and Municipal Health Officer’s Conference held at the Cocoon Hotel in Quezon City.
“We keep on repeating the same oversights and blunders in the health care system and it becomes already a disease because we keep on doing the same things over and over again.
“So our problems in health do not stop because the DOH would not change and we really do not know why,” he said.
“And the problem with the department is papalit palit ng leader and paulit ulit lang naman ang ginagawa. Even your kind of trainings na paulit ulit na ginagawa dahil galing sa consultant na binabayaran dahil maganda ang report pagkatapos mabayaran. That’s how simple DOH is.”
“We need to have value creation because if not, we keep on doing the same things and continue to waste resources which could be used for more important and immediate concern” he added.
“We need to fix the public health system within the department by changing things from within ourselves, as public servants, and prioritizing the interest and welfare of our people whom we serve. We also need to change the health seeking behavior of our people. We need to remind them that health is their right and our purpose is to lay-down their choices and assist them to choose the best option for them and their children.”
Janairo noted that patients, especially the underprivileged, should not be disheartened when a member of a family is sick, and death should not be their choice due to financial constraints.
“We, as health workers must provide all the support they need. We need to be active and intervene.”
Janairo said the regional office will start providing a system that is pro-active, functioning and always ready to provide the needed support even without an emergency or disaster.
“We will shock the culture, and this is how we will do it in CALABARZON. We will establish network building, dynamic partnership, and the need to have shared values and concepts in the implementation of health programs in the community. Micro solutions will be applied at the RHUs because it is more tactical and effective instead of strategic,” he said.
During the conference, Janairo also alerted the the representatives of Philhealth present during the conference on the numerous complaints and various comments by city/municipal officers who wants Philhealth regional executives to attend national or regional events organized by the DOH.
“You can always have excuses to say nothing and to solve nothing every time you attend. A regional or national entity or person should attend, not a staff who is not involved in policy making because they do not have the capacity or the knowledge to solve anything more so that CALABARZON is being handled by three PhilHealth regional offices” he said.
“These concerns and issues raised by the city/municipal health officers should have been taken care of by Philhealth for the past years if only higher level executives attended this kind of events because they are the ones giving out issuances or else will be doing the same kind of things all over again and will not solve anything.”
Janairo added that with the passage of the Universal Health Care Law, they have advised legislators to change the composition of the board of PhilHealth. “Actually, kung maari nga lang palitan lahat ang nasa PhilHealth”.
“PhilHealth should be a social insurance and a protectorate program. Protecting the health of the people not be a profit oriented and reservation of funds insurance program which aims to safeguard gains and revenues.”
Janairo encouraged participants to work together with the regional office, unify efforts and maximize resources and serve the most in their respective areas.
"Let us work towards making Rural Health Units as diagnostic centers for residents of the community to benefit. This is one of my aspiration and we will begin this plan with your support in CALABARZON.”