,:.
#
No impfementation of UHC in zo2o
There will be no nationwide im-
plementation of the Universal Health
Care law next year due t0'budget
constraints and lack of readiness,
Health Secretary Francisco Duque
said yesterday.
Duque, in yesterday,s House
Committee on Appropriations, de-
liberations on the Depaftment of
Health's proposed F88-billion bud-
get for 2A2A, said their proposed
appropriations are "insufficient,, to
cover the entire cost of healthcare
in. the.country particularly for poor
Filipinos.
"The strategic readiness of the
DoH in the implementation of the
Universal Health Care year 1 is
2A20, and it is a progressive realiza-
tion, it cannot be a national rol!-out,
your honors," Duque told the budget
hearing, presided over by Bulacan
Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, who
asked the readiness of the DoH to
implement the UHC law which was
signed by President Duterte last
Feb. 20,
Duque said they have identified
certain provinces that would serye
as "a model" for the implemerlta-
tion of the various components of
Republic Act No. i1223.
"We have rather identified cer-
tain provinces that will become the
model for the implementation of the
various components of the Ul-lC law
#
- seryice delivery health regulation,
health care financing governance
and performance accountability,
as well as local health systems de-
velopment. These are essentially
the five components of the UHC/,
Duque said"
He also cited the need to launch
capacity building in different prov-
inces, whicii under the law, would
serue as "the convergence pcints oi
integration.'
"I guess the keywords are pro-
gressive realization given that we
cannot do a natlonal roll,out because
of budgetany constraints and also
because of the readiness," Duque
saicl. (Charissa L. Atienza)
P%e L