CAN PUBLIC HOSPITALS BECOME BETTER THAN PRIVATE HOSPITALS?

CAN PUBLIC HOSPITALS BECOME BETTER THAN PRIVATE HOSPITALS?

Many Filipinos probably think that it is impossible for public hospitals to become better than private hospitals. However, that is not a theory anymore because the proof already exists right before our eyes.

We already have public institutions such as the Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute. These hospitals are considered centers of medical excellence not only in the Philippines but even in Southeast Asia.

The question therefore is no longer whether it can be done. The real question is: why are we not doing it everywhere else?

Let us face reality. The government as a whole is bigger and financially stronger than any private corporation. If private hospital groups can build modern facilities with advanced equipment, then surely the government can also do the same, perhaps even on a larger scale.

What then is preventing many public hospitals from reaching world-class standards?

Surely it is not money alone. We all know that billions of pesos are regularly lost to corruption, wasteful projects, and overpriced procurements. If the government can afford waste, then the government can certainly afford healthcare.

Perhaps the real problem is priorities and political will.

To me, true Universal Healthcare means that every Filipino receives the same quality of medical care whether inside a public hospital or a private hospital. The only difference should be payment. Public hospitals should provide quality healthcare for free, while private hospitals may continue operating for those who can afford additional convenience or luxury.

No Filipino should receive second-class treatment simply because he or she is poor.

Sadly, what we see today is a healthcare system under severe strain. We see heartbreaking scenes of patients sleeping on sidewalks outside overcrowded public hospitals while waiting for admission. The Department of Health itself has acknowledged that the Philippines has only about 0.5 hospital beds per 1,000 people, far below the recommended standard of 1.5 beds per 1,000 population.

The problem is not merely beds. The problem is infrastructure, manpower, equipment, and coordination.

This is why I believe that the best place to start reforms is at the district hospital level.

District hospitals are supposed to serve as the backbone of localized healthcare. They are the middle layer between barangay health centers and large tertiary hospitals. If properly upgraded, they could handle surgeries, maternity care, emergency treatment, and routine hospitalization closer to where people actually live.

Imagine if every congressional district or cluster of municipalities had at least one fully modernized district hospital with complete laboratories, CT scan equipment, intensive care units, digital records, and telemedicine capabilities.

That alone would greatly decongest major hospitals in Metro Manila and provincial capitals.

More importantly, we also need a stronger referral system. Patients should not automatically rush to large tertiary hospitals for illnesses that could already be treated at district facilities. The ongoing implementation of Province-Wide Health Systems under the Universal Health Care Act is a step in the right direction, but implementation must be faster and more serious.

Technology must also play a larger role. Why not establish AI-assisted telemedicine kiosks in barangays? Why not digitize procurement systems to reduce corruption and speed up supply deliveries?

Healthcare should never be treated merely as a business commodity. Public hospitals are the ultimate safety net of society.

Yes, public hospitals can absolutely become better than private hospitals. But this can only happen if we finally decide that healthcare is not an afterthought, but a national priority.

After all, what could possibly be more important than the health and dignity of our people?

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres  iseneres@yahoo.com  senseneres.blogspot.com  09088877282/06-25-2027

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