By Ma. Teresa Montemayor | Philippine News Agency
More than 100 Universal Health Care (UHC) integration sites are now active across the country, marking significant progress in the implementation of the UHC Law.
In his speech at the first National UHC Summit on Thursday, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa reported that the number of UHC integration sites has nearly doubled from only 58 in 2020 to 104 this year, covering 87% of the target local government units (LGUs) nationwide.
“To our local chief executives, as stewards of health in your provinces and cities, your leadership is both indispensable and determinative of the full realization of UHC,” he said.
The UHC integration sites link health facilities—from barangay health stations and rural health units to primary care facilities and hospitals—into a coordinated network to provide faster, affordable, and quality medical services for all Filipinos.
“The success of UHC rests not solely on national policy but on the concrete decisions you make in your jurisdictions,” he said.
He added that the expansion of the integration sites is a testament to the growing commitment of LGUs to improve the delivery of health care in their communities.
However, there are challenges that must be addressed since only a third of LGUs have fully organized their health care provider networks (HCPNs), while less than 30% have achieved higher levels of functional maturity.
Herbosa emphasized that significant gaps remain in terms of health financing, service delivery, and governance.
He urged local chief executives to take a more proactive role in implementing UHC by organizing functional health care provider networks, allocating local budgets that prioritize health, and institutionalizing special health funds.
Preventive and promotive care and support for the local health workforce must be strengthened, he said.
Moreover, equitable health financing must be ensured to protect families from catastrophic medical expenses.
The establishment of UHC integration sites is aligned with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen the country’s health system and make quality health care accessible to all Filipinos.
The DOH vows to continue provision of technical assistance to LGUs to ensure that the remaining target sites are operationalized, with the goal of achieving full nationwide coverage in the coming years.
