Herbosa bares 8-point agenda, pushes for 'humanistic' approach to public health Raphael Bosano, --- ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Newly-appointed Health Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa is looking at 8 action plans that would guide his leadership over the Department of Health. During the turnover of the department’s helm from then officer-in-charge Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire and his first flag ceremony as department secretary, Herbosa enumerated his 8-point agenda, which encompasses all aspects and sectors pertinent to public health. Aside from the implementation of Universal Health Care, he seeks the provision of safe, quality and nurturing health services aided by technological advancements. The DOH is also set to build its capacity when responding to crisis situations and preventing the spread of diseases. "We will protect against any pandemic through a Pandemic Preparedness Center and better training and facilities for infectious diseases, among others," he said. Mental health and the welfare and rights of health-care workers are also among the new secretary’s agenda. "We will work on higher health worker pay, better recognition and a clear upward career mobility pathway of local government and health staff towards the DOH," Herbosa said. 'HUMANISTIC' APPROACH Herbosa said he planned to carry out the agenda using a "humanistic" approach where the public’s welfare is prioritized above all, which he said could set his leadership apart from his predecessors. "Masyadong regulatory. I know they want it to be regulatory to promote good governance and prevent corruption. But I think we should also not forget that there is a human side in health. And the way we deliver and govern should be humanistic, makatao," he said. But as with other services, public health entails cost. He explained that while the DOH aims to provide quality and accessible healthcare, some things would still have to be shouldered by individuals. "Pero kung kelangan mo ng brain surgery, major heart operation, tutulong ang pamahalaan kung kulang ang pera mo. That is the essence of Universal Healthcare Coverage, na 'yung mga mahihirap, hindi magbebenta ng bahay, lupa, kalabaw, ng hanapbuhay," he said. (But if you need brain surgery, major heart operation, government would help if you need money. That is the essence of Universal Healthcare Coverage, the poor would need not sell their house, land, livelihood.) HERBOSA LAUDS VERGEIRE The health chief also thanked Vergeire for steering the agency for a short but nonetheless challenging time and assured that he would continue the "good governance and process reforms she has started" and take it even further. Vergeire, for her part, said that while everything remained to be status quo, she specifically requested to be transferred to operations. "Not to head undersecretaries but to become the strategic office for [operations] para lang mas mapalakas natin ang ops ng DOH at mas makita natin ano pa ang kakulangan sa ground," Vergeire said. (This is so that we could strengthen the DOH ops and see more clearly what is needed on the ground.) The former OIC also said she understood and agreed with Herbosa’s observation that the department was too strict on regulations. While she declined to give a self-assessment of her time as leader of the department, she said the public knew that "we have done all our best to push for all the objectives of the DOH and the objectives of the current administration." PH SUCCESSFUL VS COVID A former spokesperson of the National Task Force during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Herbosa said the country had done well in combatting the pandemic. He said the NTF worked closely with the Interagency Task Force, headed by the DOH, to prevent the loss of lives and capacitate the then-ailing healthcare system. "We’re now here. Nasa post-pandemic tayo. We succeeded. Actually, many people are telling us, we were one of the countries with the better management kasi konti ang namatay. Sixty-six thousand deaths. Ang ibang country, million," he said. (We were one of the countries with the better management because fewer people died, 66,000 deaths. Other countries had millions.) Under his leadership, Herbosa said he would shun "layers of bureaucracy" and assured employees that his door was always open to anyone willing to share vital information.