Health a concern of voters, survey shows

ALMOST eight out of 10 Filipinos of  voting age believe that candidates  who will be elected on May 10 should also have an agenda for better health services by the government.

“Seventy-eight percent of Filipinos believe that an agenda for health matters this May,” former Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez said reporting the results of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on health services.

The survey showed that 57 percent regard as “very important” having a priority agenda on health in choosing a candidate for president while 21 percent think it is “somewhat important.”

“The country’s next leaders should prioritize healthcare in their agenda since Filipinos expect the government to play a greater role in matters affecting their health,” Romualdez said.

Saying that there is a need to tell political candidates that health must be included in their agenda, the former health secretary was pleased with the results of the survey commissioned by the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP).

“In order to influence politicians, the people must convince them that we want better health services and that we want it prioritized by the government,” he said.

Romualdez said the candidates could politicize the health issue once elected. He said money is “not a problem” since the obstacle to implementing universal healthcare is political will.

“Money is not a problem. We only need strong political will and the next president needs this universal healthcare to be his next agenda because the Filipinos need it,” Romualdez added.

Dr. Soe Nyunt-U, World Health Organization country representative, thinks that although health is not yet a big political issue here in the Philippines, more politicians and voters are recognizing the importance of it being included in the political agenda.

“In other countries, a candidate can win or lose based on health agenda alone. In the Philippines, it’s not yet on that level, but I think we are coming to the level of recognition that health is indeed very important,” Soe added.

Among the presidential candidates, Romuladez said that only administration bet and former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro and Liberal Party standard- bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd and Bagumbayan Party presidential candidate Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon have expressed their plans for a universal health bill.

Based on the results of the survey, around 78 percent believe that health is a basic human right under the Constitution.

Eighty-four percent think that the government should aim to provide the same quality of healthcare, without charge, to everyone, whether rich or poor. Also, 84 percent believe it is the duty of the government to provide healthcare for all Filipinos.

The same survey also found out that 71 percent of Filipinos “worry a great deal” about getting sick.

Although 75 percent of the respondents said they consulted a doctor after getting sick, while 72 percent said they paid the consultation fee from their own pockets.

Asked whether what could be the reason for not consulting the doctors, the respondents said that they couldn’t afford it (24 percent), they know what medicine to buy for their sickness (39 percent), they never will consult a doctor (17 percent), and there is no doctor or hospital nearby (10 percent).

The SWS survey on health was conducted from January 29 to February 1 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 respondents, 300 each from Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Margins of error are plus or minus 2.7 percent for the national level and plus or minus 6 percent for each of the geographical areas.

PHAP President Reiner Gloor said the association commissioned the SWS for the survey as part of its “contributions to the advocacy for universal healthcare as a sustainable solution to improve the health and lives of Filipinos.” –ROMMEL C. LONTAYAO Reporter, Manila Times