AKIHIRO N.

MERCADO BSMT 1A

1. What is your opinion on the Health Service Delivery in our country? Explain your answer.
There is a critical need for economical, dependable medical equipment in the Philippines. With a
growing population that exceeded 100 million in 2016, the Philippines is our world's twelfth
most populated country. In spite of continued growth the Philippines health service delivery
suffers from a variety of deficiencies. In addition to a shortage of healthcare providers, there is a
lack of hospital beds and medical equipment in the Philippines. In particular, there is a shortage
of doctors and equipment in rural areas and poorer provinces. Of the 17 key regions of the
Philippines, only 4 regions meet the minimum standards of hospital beds per 1,000 residents.
And with a shortage of high quality operating room equipment in the Philippines, many patients
are unable to receive the surgical care that they require. The shortage of hospitals and surgical
equipment are the primary barriers to quality health system delivery in the Philippines. Half of
the people who live in the Philippines reside in rural areas of the country where there are
sometimes no licensed medical doctors and ill-equipped facilities with broken medical devices.
Most of the best clinics and hospitals are located in larger cities such as Manila, Cebu City,
Quezon City and Davao City. However, even residents of the country's capital face healthcare
challenges. Staffing shortages, combined with a lack of sufficient hospital beds and poorly
functioning medical equipment pose problems for city residents as well. Public and private
hospitals in the Philippines face a great challenge in sourcing medical equipment that is both
reliable and affordable. As a result of an extremely limited local medical device production, over
95% of medical devices are imported from other countries. Notably, many hospital owners and
doctors are reluctant to buy equipment from other countries. Others worry that they will not be
able to afford high quality equipment. Many doctors and clinic owners have no idea where to go
to source dependable medical devices at a fair price.

2. What do you think needs to be improve in terms of Health Service Delivery in our country.
The Philippines health sector is a public-private mixed system, with the private sector
dominating the market. There is need for robust quality driven health systems in the Philippines
addressing management of chronic diseases and better primary and referral centers as it is not
only a fast growing economy, but is also blessed with an English speaking population and a
healthcare force experienced in working in the most advanced healthcare systems in the world.
Promoting healthcare related industries could be further enhanced by foreign investment;
bringing foreign investment business experts, international healthcare consultants, and
international accreditation agencies. Activities of all these will eventually contribute to higher
GDP growth. With fast economics, highly trained medical professionals, internationally
recognized and accredited medical centers, the Philippines could easily be a hub of medical
tourism. Medical tourism will promote other potential industries such as the hotel industry,
tourism, pharmaceutical and other private and public sectors. This is also an opportunity for
Philippine hospitals and the medical community to take advantage of the falling reimbursement
system and expensive healthcare in the USA and the European countries. It would be a wise
decision to promote the Philippines’ medical industry in the USA and other western countries.
AKIHIRO N. MERCADO BSMT 1A

Demand for quality medical services will be ever growing in these countries and patients will be
seeking more affordable medical care abroad.

Such services should not be limited to cosmetic surgery or expensive services for short gain, but
long-term sustainable services that will benefit not only international patients also the aging
Phillipine population.

3. Think of a program or a new system where you can improve the Health Delivery Service in
our country.

To improve care delivery and achieve the Triple Aim of better care, better health and lower
costs, hospitals and healthcare providers must implement several key principles: Center the
"whole person" in the system design,Develop systems for care management and
coordination,Incorporate behavioral health and social health determinants into the equation,Work
toward collaborative leadership,Align care delivery and the community,Give the system and
those who work within it the technology, information and transparency they need to improve
outcomes,Create high-safety, high-reliability healthcare organizations