Cebu is moving to link the health systems of its cities and municipalities into a province-wide network aimed at making healthcare access more consistent across the province.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro on Monday urged local government units (LGUs) to work toward an integrated provincial health system, saying a resident’s access to quality healthcare should not depend on where he or she lives.
“Wherever a Cebuano lives in the province, whether in a city or a municipality, he or she should have access to the same quality of healthcare,” Baricuatro said.
Baricuatro made the call during a meeting with Cebu mayors and local health officials at the Capitol Social Hall, where officials discussed steps to implement the health system integration required under Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act.
Under the proposed arrangement, cities and municipalities will continue to manage and finance their rural health units and barangay health stations.
The provincial government will provide policy direction, coordinate referrals, offer technical support and establish mechanisms connecting local facilities into a single network.
The integration is intended to make referrals more efficient, particularly for patients from far flung areas who need treatment beyond the capacity of local health facilities.
Instead of operating independently, local health facilities would become interconnected parts of the provincial health system, allowing patients to move more smoothly between primary, secondary and higher levels of care.
The province wide arrangement will also change how healthcare funds are managed.
PhilHealth reimbursements will be pooled into a Special Health Fund, from which participating LGUs can finance health programs and services within their jurisdictions.
Baricuatro said the arrangement will not remove the authority of cities and municipalities over their local health facilities.
The provincial government will instead take on a broader oversight and coordinating role.
During the meeting, Baricuatro and the attending mayors signed a commitment board expressing their intent to seek authorization from their respective Sanggunians, or local councils, to enter into a formal Inter LGU Agreement.
Baricuatro also asked mayors to bring the proposal before their legislative bodies and encouraged city and municipal health officers to help explain the integration plan to local officials.
The implementation of the province wide health system will depend on the approval and formal participation of individual LGUs.
“This is the Cebu we are working toward,” Baricuatro said. “Usa ka Sugbo. Usa ka sistema sa panglawas ug serbisyo nga patas alang sa matag Sugboanon.”
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