Educational Institution

An educational institution is a place where learners of different ages gain

education. Education is based on an age grade system from preschool, primary,
intermediate, and secondary level (junior and senior high school), to tertiary
level (colleges and universities). Educational institutions carry out educational
activities that engage students with various learning environments and spaces.
However, not all types of educational institutions are structured and
formalized. While established educational institutions follow a well-defined
curriculum, some learning environments are spontaneous and have no fixed
timetables.
There are two types of education: formal and informal.
Formal education deals with the conventional classroom setup where
structured methods of learning are administered in educational institutions.
Government recognition in terms of the curricular offering that predetermines
the books and materials to be used for instruction is necessary to establish
standards in the academic community. Faculty and instructors follow the
curricula set by a technical committee appointed by the government. Formal
education starts at around age 4 from preschool up to higher education. It takes
place in a stipulated period in which learners complete each level by acquiring
the required competencies in preparation for higher learning.
Informal education, on the other hand, is anything learned independently
outside the conventional classroom setup. It is not restricted to a certain location
and is usually integrated with the surroundings such as the home, cultural
setting, and even in formal education institutions. Informal education involves
the students' behavior skills through interaction and exploration on a daily basis
as well as the teachers' traits that vary based on their expertise, skills, and
experience.

Vision and Mission Statement

Vision Statement
A vision statement conveys the desired end of an academic institution. It is
usually a one-sentence statement that describes the distinct and motivating
long-term desired transformation resulting from institutional programs. The
vision statement should be clear, memorable, and concise with an average
length of 14 words. The shortest contains only three words—such as “Equality for
Everyone, a human rights campaign-while the longest may contain up to 26
words—such as “A World in which every person enjoys all of the human rights
enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international
human rights instruments” of Amnesty International.
Mission Statement
A mission statement is a one-sentence statement relating the intention of an
institution's existence. This communicates what you do or who you do this for.
The mission statement must be clear by using simple language with an average
of 5 to 20 words. Examples include “Spreading Ideas” by TED, “The increase and
diffusion of knowledge” by the Smithsonian, and “Seeking to put God's love into
action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, community
and hope" by Habitat for Humanity.
Below is the detailed comparison between a vision statement and a mission

statement.

Value Statement
A value statement, or the core values, is a list of fundamental doctrines
that guide and direct the educational institution. This sets the moral direction of
the institution and its academic community that guides decision-making and
provides a yardstick against any action. The core values shape the standard
structure that is shared and acted upon by the academic community.
In developing an institution's value statement, consider the following
questions: • what values are distinct to our educational institution? • What
values should direct our institution?
For an educational institution to have a useful value statement, its values
must be incorporated in all levels of the institution to give direction to its
engagements, viewpoints, and decision-making processes.
Objectives
Educational objectives, or goals, are short statements that learners should
achieve within or at the end of the course or lesson. When setting the objectives,
curriculum developers must think of the SMART criteria; that is, objectives must
be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time bound.
Below is a list of educational objectives set by the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) through CHED Memorandum Order No. 14, series of 2006 on
“Policies, Standards, and Guidelines for Medical Technology Education”
Key Points to Remember
✓ An educational institution carries out educational activities that engage
students with various learning environments and spaces.
✓ Education is based on an age grade system from preschool, primary,
intermediate, and secondary level to the tertiary level.
✓ A vision statement is the desired end of an academic institution. It is usually a
one-sentence statement that describes the distinct and motivating long-term
desired transformation resulting from institutional programs. A mission
statement is a one-sentence statement relating the intention of an institution's
existence. A value statement, or core values, is a list of fundamental doctrines
that guide and direct the educational institution.
✓ An educational objective is a short statement that a learner should achieve
within or at the end of the course or lesson
Health System
Health system is “the combination of resources, organization culminate in
the delivery of health services to the population (Ro of many parts such as the
community, department or ministries of me service organizations,
pharmaceutical companies, health financing bodies related to the health sector.
Each plays a role in the system such as governance, financing and managing
resources. In the World Health Report (WHO, 2000), health system is defined as
"all the organizations, institutions, resources, and people whose primary purpose
is to improve health.” Thus, a well-performing health system provides direct
health-improving activities whether in personal health cares services, or
intersectoral initiatives, to achieve high health equity.

Goals and Functions of a Health System

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies three (3) main goals of a health
system:
1. Improving the health of populations
Improving the health of the population is the overarching goal of a health
system. Health status should thus be measured over the entire population and
across different socioeconomic groups. Populations must be protected from
existing and emerging health risks. Intensive preparations for resilience to
impending but still unknown health risks must be executed to ensure the safety
of populations. Health systems should strive for equity in health by minimizing
inequitable disparities which may be caused by certain factors such as income,
ethnicity, occupation, gender, geographic location, and sexual orientation,
among others. There are significant variations in health outcomes across the
world, within regions and within countries. Countries and regions with relatively
similar socioeconomic status may have quite disparate health outcomes. The
way health systems are organized contributes to this disparity. These disparities
are most effectively reduced when they are recognized and their minimization
becomes an explicit national goal.
2. Improving the responsiveness of the health system
Responsiveness refers to providing satisfactory health services and engaging
people as active partners. It embodies the values of respectfulness, dignity,
confidentiality, autonomy, quality, and timeliness in the delivery of health
services. Health systems also have an obligation to respond to the legitimate
non-health needs and expectations of populations. Responsive health systems
maximize people's autonomy and control, allowing them to make choices and
placing them at the center of the health system.
3. Providing fair health financing
An ideal health system provides social and financial risk protection in health.
Thus, all head systems must be adequately funded to provide essential services
to all citizens. WHO defines a fairly financed health system as one that does not
deter individuals from receiving needed care due to payments required at the
time of service, and one in which each individual pays approximately the same
percentage of their income for needed services. A health financing system that
dissuades people from seeking needed services or impoverishes individuals and
families worsens health outcomes.

The four (4) vital health system functions are:

1. Health service provision
The most visible product of the health system is public and private health service
provision. A health service is any service, not limited to clinical services, aimed
at improving the health of populations. Preventive measures as well as
promotion of a healthy way of living to avoid illnesses also form part of the best
systems. Thus, the system has to perform a wide range of activities to cater to
these various demands.

.2. Health service inputs

Health service inputs, or managing resources, means generating the essential
physical resources for the delivery of health services which include medications,
human resources, and medical equipment. Resources such as trained doctors
and medical staff and supply of medications often take time to be produced;
hence, the health system policymakers have to respond and use the available
resources to address short-term population needs.

3. Stewardship
Stewardship, or the overall system oversight, is the main responsibility of the
government. This function sets the direction, context, and policy framework for
the overall health system.
The core of the stewardship function includes:
a.Identifying health priorities for allocation of public resources; . .
b. Identifying an institutional framework;
c. Coordinating activities with other systems related to external health care;
d. Analyzing health priorities and resource generation trends and their
implications; and
e. Generating appropriate data for effective decision-making and policymaking
on health matters.

4. Health financing
Health system financing includes raising and pooling resources to pay for health
services. a. Revenue collection
Revenue is earned from payments for health care services. The mechanisms for
revenue collection include general taxation, direct household out-of-pocket
expenditures, mandatory payroll contributions, mandatory or voluntary risk-rated
contributions, donor financing, and other forms of personal savings.
Each source of health financing is associated with a specific manner of
organizing and pooling of funds and purchasing services. Public health systems
rely on general taxation for its financing, while social security organizations are
funded through the mandatory payroll contributions from workers and
employers.
b. Risk pooling
Financial risk pooling is a form of risk management which aims to spread
financial risks from an individual to all pool members. It is considered a core
function of health insurance companies. This mechanism prevents outright
payment for health services which discourages patients belonging to the poor
sector from seeking health care. Participation in effective risk pooling helps
families from financial losses due to health shocks, thus ensuring financial
protection.
Each country has its own approach to managing its financial risk to finance
its health care system. Multiple and fragmented forms of risk pooling
arrangements exist in most developing countries. Most high-income countries
follow one of the two main models: the Bismarck model and the Beveridge
model.

• Bismarck Model (Bismarck's Law on Health Insurance of 1883)

This model is named after the Prussian Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, known for
inventing the welfare state in the 19th century as part of the unification of
Germany. The Bismarck model uses an insurance system where the sickness
fund finances both the employers and the employees through payroll deduction.
But unlike the US insurance industry, the Bismarck-type health insurance plan
covers everybody thus collecting no profit. This is considered a multi-payer
model with tight regulation giving the government the cost-control clout. This
model is widely used in Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Japan,
Switzerland, and, to a degree, in Latin America.

• Beveridge Model (Beveridge Report or the Social Insurance and Allied

Services of 1942)
This model is named after William Beveridge, the social reformer responsible for
designing Britain's Social Security System and the National Health Service. In the
Beveridge model, health care is provided and funded by the government through
tax payments. The government owns many, but not all, hospitals and clinics in
the country. Doctors may be government or private employees who collect their
professional fees from the government. This results in low cost per capita since
the government controls the health care services. Countries using the Beveridge
plan include Hong Kong, Great Britain, Spain, most of Scandinavia, New Zealand,
and Cuba. The Cuban government, for instance, uses total government control.
c. Strategic purchasing
In strategic purchasing, risk-pooling organizations use collected funds and po
financial resources to finance health care services for the members. The
purchaser a the substantial part of the health provider's external incentives to
develop the pro user interaction and the health service delivery models.

One building block is service delivery which refers to the timely delivery
of quality and cost-effective personal and non-personal health services. Another
is health workforce which includes individuals and groups working towards the
achievement of the best health outcomes by being responsive, fair, and efficient.
The number of staff should be sufficient and fairly distributed to ensure
competency, responsiveness, and productivity. Information (health information
system) which analyzes, disseminates, and uses reliable and relevant
information on health status, determinants, and systems performance is also a
valuable building block. Another important building block is that of health
products, vaccines, and technologies which are made accessible through
uninterrupted supply, well-managed pharmaceutical services, and education on
proper use of medication. Financing (health financing system) is a building block
which takes care of the funding for health care services to guarantee that people
can use health services when needed without fear of having not enough
resources to pay for them. Lastly, leadership and governance involves the task of
ensuring effective stewardship of the entire health system. This building block
also covers the monitoring of the accountability of private and public health
agencies, proper system design, and appropriate regulation of health systems.

The Philippine Health System

Historical Background
The health reform initiatives carried out over the years in the Philippines
were primarily focused on these areas of concern: health service delivery, health
regulation, and health financing. These health reforms aimed at addressing
issues such as poor accessibility, inequity, and inefficiency of the Philippine
health system.
1. 1979: Adoption of Primary Health Care Strategy (LOI 949)
- promoted participatory management of the local health care system

2. 1982: Reorganization of DOH (EO 851)

- integrated the components of health care delivery into its field operations

3. 1988: The Generics Act (RA 6675)

– ushered the writing of prescriptions using the generic name of the drug

4. 1991: Local Government Code (RA 7160)

- transferred the responsibility of providing health service to the local
government units

5. 1995: National Health Insurance Act (RA 7875)

– instituted a national health insurance mechanism for financial protection with
priority given to the poor

6. 1999: Health Sector Reform Agenda

- ordered the major organizational restructuring of the DOH to improve the way
health care is delivered, regulated, and financed
7. 2005: FOURmula One (F1) for Health
- adopted an operational framework to undertakereforms with speed, precision,
and effective coordination and to improve the Philippine health system

8. 2008: Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act (RA 9502)
- promoted and ensured access to affordable quality drugs and
medicines for all

9. 2010: Kalusugang Pangkalahatan or Universal Health Care (AO 2010-

0036)
- provided universal health coverage and access to quality health care for all
Filipinos

Leadership and Governance

The Department of Health (DOH) is mandated to provide the appropriate
direction for the nation's health care industry. Its other tasks include:
(1) the development of plans, guidelines and standards for the health sector;
(2) technical assistance;
(3) capacity building;
(4) advisory services for disease prevention; and
(5) control of medical supplies and vaccines.
DOH coordinates its national health programs through the local
government units (LGUs). LGUs take care of their own health services and are
given autonomy under the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 (R.A. 7160). 78
provincial governors, 138 city mayors, 1,496 municipal mayors, and 42,025
barangay chairpersons compose the local government units of the country
(NSCB, 2010).
In terms of administration, LGUs are grouped into 17 regions. Although
they operate in a decentralized system, LGUs are under the supervision of the
DOH regional health offices. The provincial government is tasked to provide
health services through provincial and district hospitals. The city and municipal
governments rely on public health and primary health care centers for their
primary care. (For a detailed organizational structure of the Philippine health
sector, see The Philippines Health System Review (2011) published in Health
System in Transition; vol. 1, no. 2.)
DOH is duty-bound to:
1. develop policies and programs for the health sector, ·
2. provide technical assistance to its partners,
3. encourage performance of the partners in the priority health programs,
4. develop and enforce policies and
standards,
5. design programs for large
segments of the population, and
6. provide specialized and tertiary
level care.

Under the decentralized or

devolved structure, the state is represented by national offices and LGUs, with
provincial, city, municipal, and barangay or village offices. DOH, LGUs, and the
private sector participate, cooperate, and collaborate in the care of the
population. Before devolution, the national health system consisted of a three-
tiered system under the direct control of the DOH: (1) the tertiary hospitals at
the national and regional levels; (2) the provincial and district hospitals and city
and municipal health centers; and (3) the barangay (village) health centers.
With the enactment of the LGC of 1991, the government health system
now consists of basic health services—including health promotion and preventive
units—provided by cities and municipalities provincial and province-run district
hospitals of varying capacities, and mostly tertiary medical center, specialty
hospitals, and a number of re-nationalized provincial hospitals managed by DOH.

Directions of the Philippine Health Sector

1. The Philippine Health Agenda 2016-2022 (DOH Administrative Order

2016-0038)
This agenda adopts the slogan “All for Health Towards Health For All” as the
rallying point for its vision of a Healthy Philippines by 2020. It expanded the
scope of the Universal Health Care (UHC) directions, particularly through a
whole-of-government approach. With this agenda, the health system guarantees:
a. population- and individual-level interventions for all life stages that promote
health and wellness, prevent and treat the triple burden of disease, delay
complications, rehabilitation, and provide palliation for both the well and the sick;
b. access to health interventions through functional service delivery networks
(SDNs); and
c. financial freedom when accessing these interventions through Universal
Health Insurance.
2. The Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022
This is the first of the four key medium-term plans to translate the vision of a
“matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay” for the Filipinos and the country.
3. NEDA AmBisyon Natin 2040
A product of the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, this collective long-
term plan envisions better life for the Filipinos and the country in the next 25
years by formulating policies and implementing programs and projects to attain
this AmBisyon. This plan focuses on four areas: building a prosperous,
predominantly middle-class society where no one is poor; promoting a long and
healthy life; becoming smarter and more innovative; and building a high-trust
society.
4. Sustainable Development Goals 2030
Also known as the 2030 Agenda, this compilation of 17 global development goals
targets to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and confront issues
involving climate change.

Key Points to Remember

✓ Health system combines resources, organization, financing, and management
to deliver health services to the population. According to the World Health Report
(WHO, 2000), health system is defined as “all the organizations, institutions,
resources, and people whose primary purpose is to improve health.
✓ The primary goals of a health system are improved health outcomes (attaining
the best average level health care for the entire population by minimizing
disparities), more responsive health system (meeting the people's expectations
of and satisfaction from health service delivery), and more equitable health care
financing (protecting each individual from financial risks).
✓ The four functions of the health system are health services provision (for
appropriate and cost effective health delivery); health service inputs (for
generating human resources, technology, and capital); health financing (by
revenue collection, risk pooling, and strategic purchasing); and stewardship and
initiatives (to strengthen governance, accountability, and responsiveness).
✓ A health system can be analyzed in its totality by using a framework consisting
of six building blocks, i.e., leadership and governance, health financing, health
workforce, health products, vaccines, and technologies, health information, and
service delivery.
✓ The Department of Health (DOH) is the lead agency for Philippine health care.
According to its mandate (E.O. No. 119, Sec. 3), the DOH shall be responsible for
the (1) formulation and development of national health policies, guidelines,
standards, and manual of operations for health services and programs; (2)
issuance of rules and regulations, licenses, and accreditations; (3) promulgation
of national health standards, goals, priorities, and indicators; and (4)
development of special health programs and projects, and advocacy for
legislation on health policies and programs.
Health Care
According to the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978, health is a fundamental human
right. It states that the most important global goal is for humans to reach the
optimal level of their health; this requires not only on of the health sector but the
collaboration among other sectors such as those in the social and economic
sectors.
Meanwhile, a common concern of many countries, including both developed and
developing ones, is the gross inequality in the people's health status which is not
socially, economically, and politically acceptable. Thus, the government of each
country has the duty and responsibility to institute adequate measures to
promote and protect its people's health, and thus achieve a better quality of life.
For better understanding, the following concepts under health care are defined
(as cited in DeDios, n.d.):
1. Health care system is defined by Miller & Keane (1987) as “an organized
plan of health services.”
2. Health care delivery, as defined by Williams & Tungpalan (1981), is "the
rendering of health care services to the people.”
3. Health care delivery system, also as defined by Williams & Tungpalan
(1981), is "the network of health facilities and personnel which carries out the
task of rendering health care to the people.”

Primary Health Care

As cited by WHO, the Alma-Ata Declaration defines primary health care as
important health care derived from scientifically sound and socially acceptable
methods. It must be universally accessible to all individuals and is based on what
the community and country can provide...
As an approach, the primary health care (PHC) deals with social policy
which targets health equity. PHC has the essential elements and objectives that
ensure attainable better health services for all.
The ultimate goal of primary health care is better health for all. WHO has
identified five key elements to achieve this goal. These are
1. universal coverage to reduce exclusion and social disparities in health,
2. service delivery organized around people's needs and expectations,
3. public policy that integrates health into all sectors,
4. leadership that enhances collaborative models of policy dialogue, and
5. increased stakeholder participation.
Essential Elements of Primary Health Care
Below are the eight (8) elements of primary health care:
1. Education concerning prevailing health problems and the methods of
identifying, preventing, and controlling them
2. Locally endemic disease prevention and control
3. Expanded program of immunization against major infectious diseases
4. Maternal and child health care including family planning
5. Essential drugs arrangement
6. Nutritional food supplement, an adequate supply of safe, and basic nutrition
7. Treatment of communicable and non-communicable disease and promotion of
mental health
8. Safe water and sanitation

Other elements of primary health care include:

1. Expanded options of immunization
2. Reproductive health needs
3. Provision of essential technologies for health
4. Health promotion
5. Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases
6. Food safety and provision of selected food supplements

Principles of Primary Health Care

A conceptual shift in health care calls attention to the fact that primary
health care should be integrated, and its principles guide the functions of the
system as a whole. Having a systems perspective bridges the conflict between
primary health care as a distinguished level of care and as a holistic approach to
the provision of health services.
The health system should also consider the principles of the Alma-Ata
Declaration and other intersectoral approaches. It should cover broader health
issues of populations while reinforcing public health functions. It should come up
with programs that provide care and prevent diseases and provision for services
especially for the poor and marginalized groups. Finally, it should be able to
monitor programs for continuous improvement.
The basic objectives to launch and sustain primary health care as part of the
comprehensive health system are as follows:
1. Improve the level of health care of the community
2. Promote favorable population growth structure
3. Reduce the morbidity and mortality rates especially among infants and
children
4. Reduce prevalence of preventable, communicable, and other diseases
5. Improve basic sanitation
6. Extend essential health services especially to the underserved sectors.
7. Develop the capability of the community to become self-reliant
8. Encourage the contribution of other sectors to the social and economic
development of the community
9. Provide equitable distribution of health care
10. Ensure community participation and monitor adequacy and distribution of
health workers who are supported locally and at the referral levels
11. Recognize that the formal health sector needs other sectors in the promotion
of health (multis-sectoral approach)
12. Use the appropriate technology which are accessible, feasible, affordable,
and culturally acceptable to the community

Management of Primary Health Care

Health care managers usually carry out the following functions in the process of
management:
1. Planning - This means setting priorities and determining performance targets.
Managers are usually required to set a direction and determine what needs to be
accomplished.
2. Organizing - This refers to designing the organization or the specific division,
unit, or service for which the manager is responsible. Furthermore, it means
designating reporting relationships and intentional patterns of interaction,
determining positions and teamwork assignments, and distributing authority and
responsibility.
3. Staffing - This function refers to acquiring and retaining human resources, and
developing and maintaining the workforce through various strategies and tactics.
4. Controlling - This function refers to monitoring staff activities and performance
and taking the appropriate actions for corrective actions to increase
performance.
5. Directing - This focuses on initiating action in the organization through the
effective leadership, motivation, and communication of managers.
Below are the management principles in relation to organizing:

1. Authority, responsibility, and accountability

a. Authority refers to the formal and legitimate right of a manager to issue
orders, make decisions, and allocate resources to achieve desired outcomes of
the organization.
b. Responsibility is the duty of the employee to perform the assigned tasks and
activities.
c. Accountability means reporting and justification of task outcomes to higher
management by those people with authority.

2. Types of authority
a. Line authority managers issue orders to their subordinates and are also
responsible for results.
b. Functional authority is for managers that have power only over a specific
set of activities. c. Staff authority is given to specialists in their areas of
expertise. The staff manager simp advises, recommends, and counsels.

3. Centralization, decentralization, and formalization

a. Centralization refers to the concentration of planning and decision-making to
the top of the organization.
b. Decentralization refers to the delegation of planning and decision- making to
the lower branches of the organization.
c. Formalization refers to a written documentation provided for the direct
control of the employees.

4. Staffing
As regards to the process of staffing, here is the list of functions of the manager:
a. Assign individuals to respective positions identified in the management plan
b. Assess required competencies through
• identification of the key result areas (KRAs) per major activity
• determination of the competencies and qualifications
c. Recruit qualified personnel
d. Improve existing services and programs by
-reviewing and adjusting the requirements accordingly
-matching the competency requirements vis-à-vis the responsible personnel
assigned to the activity
The Philippine Health Care System
. According to Dizon (1977), the Philippine health care system is “a complex
set of organizations interacting to provide an array of health services.” It has
progressed due to challenges encountered over time. In 1991, the local
government units (LGUs) took over the management of health service delivery
but the issue of fragmentation has not been absolutely addressed. Health
workforce has to deal with the pressing issues of underemployed workers, limited
resources, and unequal distribution. Meanwhile, the private sector which is said
to comprise 50% of the overall health system is strongly involved in improving
the delivery of health services, but the government's power to regulate should
be optimized.

The Department of Health Mandate

As specified in Executive Order No. 119, Sec. 3, the Ministry of Health (now
Department of Health (DOH)] has the responsibility to create, plan, implement,
and systematize national health policies, advocacies, and programs. Its primary
function is to promote, protect, and preserve or restore people's health by giving
health services and by monitoring and motivating health service providers.
Moreover, it is responsible for the issuance of health-related licenses and
accreditations and disseminating information about national health indicators.

Vision
DOH vision by 2030 states
A global leader for attaining better health outcomes, competitive and
responsible health care sveta and equitable health financing

Mission
DOH mission states
To guarantee equitable, sustainable and quality health for all Filipinos,
especially the poor, and to lead the quest for excellence in health
Levels of Health Care Facilities
Below are the levels of health care facilities according to Williams & Tungpalan
(as cited in DeDios, n.d.).
1. Primary Level of Health Care Facilities
The primary level of health care facilities refers to the following:
a. Units operated by the DOH which include the rural health units, their
respective sub-centers, chest clinics, malaria eradication units, and
schistosomiasis control units;
b. Puericulture center operated by the League of Puericulture Centers;
c. Units operated by the Philippine Tuberculosis Society such as the tuberculosis
clinics and hospitals;
d. Clinics operated by the Philippine Medical Association;
e. Clinics operated by large industrial firms for their employees
f. Health centers and community hospitals operated by the Philippine Medical
Care
Commission; and
g. Other health facilities operated by voluntary religious and civic groups.
2. The secondary level of health care facilities
Includes the smaller and non-departmentalized hospitals. These are
emergency and regional hospitals where adequate treatments are offered to
patients with symptomatic stages of diseases.
3. Tertiary Level of Health Care Facilities
Included in the tertiary level are specialized national hospitals which offer noge
technological and sophisticated services. Patients who are afflicted with life-
threatening and requiring highly technical and specialized knowledge, facilities,
and personnel are treated here

Levels of Primary Health Care Workers

1. Grassroot or Village Health Workers

a. They are the initial links of the community to health care.
b. They provide preventive health care measures and simple curatives to
promote a healthy environment.
c. They encourage programs/activities such as food production programs to
improve the socioeconomic level of the community.
d. They are the volunteers, community health workers, or traditional birth
attendants.

2. Intermediate Level Health Workers

a. They are the first source of professional health care.
b. They attend to health problems which are already beyond the competence of
the village workers.
c. They provide supervision, training, supplies, and services that provide support
to front-line health workers.
d. They are medical practitioners, nurses, and midwives.

3. First-Line Hospital Personnel

a. When hospitalization is required, they serve as the backup health service
providers.
b. The intermediate level health workers or village health workers are in close
contact with them.
c. They are the physicians with specialty, nurses, dentist, pharmacists, and other
health professionals.

The categories of health workers are affected by certain factors such as

1. the availability of health manpower resources,
2. the presence of health care concerns and needs of the locality, and
3. the issue of financial and political feasibility.
Key Points to Remember
✓ Health is a fundamental human right as cited in the Alma-Ata Declaration of
1978.
✓ Reaching the highest possible level of health is important worldwide.
✓ Primary health care (PHC) is essential health care made universally accessible
through full participation of health care providers and at a cost that the
community and the country can afford. The ultimate goal of primary health care
is better health for all. The principles of primary health care should guide the
functions of the system as a whole.
✓ Management of primary health care includes planning, organizing, staffing,
controlling, and directing.
✓ Health care facilities are categorized into primary, secondary, and tertiary
levels. Primary health care workers are categorized as grassroots or village
health workers, intermediate level health workers, and first-line hospital
personnel.
✓ The Philippine health care system has progressed due to many challenges
through time. The private sector has been strongly engaged but government
regulation should be optimized.
✓ The primary function of the Department of Health (then Ministry of Health)
indicated in EO no. 119 is to promote, protect, preserve, or restore people's
health by giving health services and monitoring health service providers.