The City Health Services Office (CHSO) will be setting up a table at the City Hall lobby starting Monday, June 26, 2023 so that the public can individually enroll with their primary care provider of choice pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 11223 or the Universal Health Care Law.
Under the said law, every Filipino shall register with a public or private primary care provider of choice with due consideration to proximity and ease of travel of those seeking care.
In her report during the regular Monday flag raising ceremony, Dr. Donnabel Panes, head of the CHSO’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, claimed that at present, 13 out of the city’s 16 district health centers are licensed primary care facilities while three district health centers are still to be licensed.
She pointed out that in order for the residents to avail of the said services, individuals must first register with the nearest health center.
On February 20, 2019, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law RA 11223 or the Universal health Care Act that mandates universal health care for every Filipino.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defined universal health care as all people having access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them without financial hardships.
Further, health care that one needs means preventive, promotive not just curative, when you need it without waiting too long and without financial hardship which also means that without going bankrupt.