BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Health (DOH) scales up implementation of the Human Resources for Health (HRH) master plan to ensure health infrastructure and human resources to provide access to quality healthcare for all Filipinos.
This will help address results of a Universal Health Care (UHC) survey conducted in 2023 that almost half of Filipino healthcare workers have intentions to leave their medical facilities in the next 12 months.
Victor Delposo, Planning Officer II of the Department of Health- Cordillera (DOH CAR), shared the results of the UHC survey during the 4th Quarter Regional Implementation and Coordination Team meeting.
Of the 11,377 healthcare workers who responded, 48.3 percent have considered leaving their facilities. Most of those who expressed their desire to leave are physicians, nurses and midwives.
The top reasons why healthcare workers want to leave are compensation, moving to another country, and lack of opportunities.
The UHC survey also revealed most healthcare workers with definitive plans to quit are considering taking position as healthcare workers in other countries, transfer to a new facility with the same role, and change specialization within healthcare.
Other reasons are retirement and change of profession.
The UHC Law or Republic Act No. 11223 mandates the whole of government approach to revitalize the Philippine healthcare system. Under this mandate, the DOH envisions making primary healthcare accessible to all Filipinos with assurance of timely access to quality healthcare regardless of financial status.
Delposo explained that in order to maximize the DOH’s ability to make evidence-basad decisions, the UHC survey was conducted, in coordination with ID Insight Philippines, Inc.
Other major data items collected during the survey include general population’s awareness of UHC including full range benefits and access; enrollment to UHC; change in the service delivery process under the UHC; increased financial risk protection for Filipino household; patients’ satisfaction with the quality of care; human resource and health care workers constraints in the UHC rollout. (JDP/MAWC-PIA CAR)
