Philippines, India re-affirm partnership in health services, medicine, global healthcare travel

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Philippine Health Secretary Enrique Ona (third from left) and His Excellency Ambassador Yogendra Kumar of India (fourth from left) are joined in the 1st Phil.Global Healthcare Forum by (from L-R) convenor and HealthCORE executive director Joyce Socao-Alumno; DTI undersecretary Cristino Panlilio; DM Healthcare Group executive director and NABH International board member Dr. Sanjiv Malik; ISQua vice chairman Dr. B.K. Rana; DOH undersecretary Ted Herbosa and HealthCORE CEO Juris Soliman.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona and Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Shri Yogendra Kumar reaffirmed the cooperation between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the Republic of India on matters of improving the state of healthcare in both countries during the 1^stPhilippine Global Healthcare Forum at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI).

India and the Philippines are working together under a Memorandum of Understanding to exchange knowledge, expertise and training in various areas of healthcare and medicine for their mutual benefit. These areas include: Medical Education; Public Health; Hospital Management; Health Tourism; Drugs and Pharmaceutical Products; Medical Consumable Products; Medical Equipments; Communicable Disease Control and Surveillance; and Traditional and Alternative Medicine.

Ona and representatives of the Philippine health sector joined Indian experts on healthcare and global healthcare travel at the 1^st Philippine Global Healthcare Forum in order to discuss and exchange information on how the Philippines, with the help of India, can develop into an international healthcare hub.

“India and the Philippines share similar health concerns. Particularly, both our countries need to meet the challenge of providing quality healthcare to the poorer and poorest segments of our populations. Both our countries will be able to exchange knowledge, expertise and training that will be of mutual benefit to our peoples,” said Secretary Ona.

One of the global healthcare experts at the Forum, Dr. Sanjiv Malik, noted that India’s success in developing its health sector to meet international standards was something that could be replicated in the Philippines.

“When India improved its international healthcare services, its entire healthcare sector improved. India was able to upgrade its healthcare system to international standards. As a result, both overseas patients and Indian patients are now receiving international quality health services and medical treatments at prices that are affordable to them.

“This is something I believe is very achievable for the Philippines. Your already are a caring people. You Filipino nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals give the highest level of caring and compassion to patients – it’s in your DNA. What you need to do next is to modify your present healthcare practices and systems to conform with international benchmarks. When you do that, you are already on your way to providing the best healthcare to your people and to becoming an international healthcare hub,” said Malik.

The 1^st Philippine Global Healthcare Forum was convened by HealthCORE, a private corporation specializing in healthcare research and communications; and the official Philippine representative of National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) in India. NABH is an ISQua-accredited, international accreditor of healthcare providers.

Daet Looks After Health, Welfare of Public School Teachers

By ANGELO G. GARCIA

October 1, 2010, 4:47pm

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) recently signed partnerships with various organizations to help improve teacher welfare, focusing on healthcare and a housing project in Daet, Camarines Norte.

“The welfare and benefits of our employees, particularly our teachers, take paramount priority in the department.  Today, we show the people how we value our teachers,” said Education Secretary Armin Luistro.  “Your government wants to provide our dear teachers the benefits they very well deserve.”

DepEd signed a memorandum of agreement with Bayer Philippines, Inc., Philippine Heart Association, Inc. (PHA) and Philippine Society of Hypertension, Inc. (PSH).

With the limited number of school medical officers and school nurses nationwide, the department cannot adequately attend to all the health needs of the students and DepEd personnel.  With this collaboration, “BP ng Teacher Ko Alaga Ko”, DepEd will create greater awareness on the health concerns of its teachers.

DepEd, together with Bayer Philippines, PHA, and PHS, aims to establish awareness and initiate means to counter the prevalence of hypertension among public school teachers. Specifically, the project aims to increase teachers’ level of appreciation of the importance of blood pressure monitoring and healthy lifestyles; educate teachers on the causes, effects and management of hypertension; promote healthy lifestyle behaviors related to blood pressure control; and initiate medical treatment to diagnosed hypertensive and diabetic teachers.

The agreement entails that PHA and PHS provide educational materials pertaining to hypertension and healthy lifestyle and videos to be utilized during lectures, workshops and counselling.

They will also submit a report or assessment of the project to DepEd and Bayer Philippines and list of diagnosed hypertensive, diabetic and dyslipidemic patients after the initial treatment for further management and follow-up of DepEd.

On the other hand, Bayer Philippines headed by its general manager, Sang Noh, agreed to provide necessary support for teachers such as supplies, equipment and personnel, among others.

The project will run for a year and this will be limited to public elementary teachers and non-teaching personnel where 300 beneficiaries with an additional 50 stand-by teachers for replacement will be selected per site.

Meanwhile, through the generosity of the local government of the Municipality of Daet, under the leadership of Mayor Tito S. Sarion in collaboration with Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) – Smart Communications, led by its Board of Trustees Chairman Manuel Pangilinan and President Rene Meily, local teachers can now have their home sweet homes.

“When we provide teachers opportunities to own their homes, we not only alleviate their living conditions by offering their family’s security and stability, but we also boost their morale to do their best in delivering quality education to our youth,” told Luistro.

Through Project Shelter, DepEd aims to provide teachers and non-teaching personnel the opportunity to acquire their own homes through affordable schemes. Hence, DepEd personnel, particularly, public school teachers in Daet, Camarines Norte will soon have a house and lot they truly own.

In November 2008, DepEd-LGU Daet and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-Ibig Fund) entered into a MOA for the “Teachers’ Farm Village” socialized housing project for public school teachers and other non-teaching personnel in Daet where completion of its First Cluster’s site development is in need of funding support.

With this current situation, PLDT-Smart Communications has signified its desire to partner with DepEd and the LGU Daet through its Gabay Guro (2G) to provide financial assistance of P3M that would help facilitate the implementation of the project.

Related articles:
DepEd asked to focus on teachers’ welfare
Villar seeks more help for teachers
P.A.F. chief lauds Daet rescuers

Group outlines tasks needed for RP to become medical tourism destination.

By Katlene O. Cacho

TRANSPARENCY in medical packages as well as development and implementation of national policies on wellness and medical travel are among the concerns government should prioritize in order for the country to position itself as a leading international health care destination, a business leader said.

“Medical tourism is one of the few bright spots for the country. But more should be done for the country to develop its potential as an international health care destination,” said European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines executive vice-president Henry Schumacher in his recent visit to Cebu.

Tourism, including medical and retirement tourism, was one of the industries touted as part of the seven “big winner” areas in the Philippines. The seven areas are expected to generate about 10 million jobs and $75 billion in foreign direct investments in the country in 2020.

In their recommendations to the Aquino administration, the Joint Foreign Chamber (JFC) highlighted the need for the negotiations on public insurance portability for international medical travel and retirement, promotion of transparency in medical travel packages and development as well as implementation of a national policy on wellness and medical travel.

Travel

They also called on the government to make possible the seamless travel of medical travelers and health professionals as part of exchange programs with overseas hospitals by issuing longer medical tourism visas for patients and their companions and streamlining procedures.

Schumacher said these concerns should be addressed for the country to compete with long-established medical tourism areas in Asia like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Medical tourism involves people traveling to other places to obtain medical, dental and surgical care while enjoying the areas’ other attractions.

Reports said medical tourism in the country continues to grow as the number of overseas patients and clients rose from 60,000 foreign patients in 2007 to about 100,000 in 2008.

Foreign patients prefer medical treatment outside their home countries primarily because of lower costs.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) expects the country to get a $3-billion share of the global medical tourism industry by 2015, with 200,000 foreign patients arriving annually.

“But of course we have to have things in place. Improve transparency, develop standard procedure, enhance English communication skills so we will be able to compete with other countries,” Schumacher said.

He also said the country has the potential to be a retirement destination.

Among the core health care services and treatment identified by the DOT to be in demand among foreigners visiting the Philippines are executive checkups, cardiovascular care, cancer care and stem cell therapy, joint replacement surgery, multi-disciplinary weight management care, eye care and sight restoration, dental care, aesthetic and dermatological surgery, spa wellness treatments and long-term care and retirement.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 17, 2010.