Aquino: Govt to raise DOH 2011 budget for health centers, insurance

The government is proposing a 13.6-percent increase in the budget of the Department of Health (DOH) for 2011 mainly to build more health centers and provide health insurance to poor families. President Benigno Simeon Aquino III cited this in his speech at the 37th World Congress of the International College of Surgeons (ICS) on Friday. He noted that many health centers in the country, particularly in rural areas, lack both facilities and medical professionals. Aquino also said the government is also aiming to improve PhilHealth coverage and insure about 4.6 million poor families within three years. Around 192,000 families enrolled for health insurance during the National PhilHealth Registration Day in September, he noted. "The government, through information campaigns, continues to encourage the enrolment of those who can afford to join the program," he said. He added that there are still around 5 million families who have not enrolled in PhilHealth. Health teams Aquino said health teams composed of doctors, nurses, and midwives will also be deployed to poor, far-flung areas as part of the government's efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals of improving child and maternal health. Aquino also appealed to doctors to do more charity work, especially in the countryside, to help the government address the sorry state of health care in the country. Aquino told some 300 local and international surgeons present at the event that the government needs the help of all medical practitioners to achieve universal health care. "I am thankful that many of you are now engaged in charity work through surgical missions. I hope it is not too much to ask for a little more of your time for the poor," he said. Aquino also asked the surgeons to share their knowledge with health care providers in rural areas to equip them with basical surgical skills. "We welcome the assistance of our balikbayan surgeons as well as their friends, peers and fellow doctors from foreign shores, who are willing to share their time and expertise," said the president. – VVP, GMANews.TV