Senatorial candidate Alyn Andamo aims to renationalize the Philippine healthcare system to ensure improved wages and benefits for local healthcare workers.
During the Bakit Ikaw: The DZRH Job Interview on Tuesday, March 11, Andamo emphasized that as a nurse, she will focus on advocating for healthcare and fighting for the rights of healthcare workers.
“Alam po natin na halos naghihingalo na po ang kalagayan sa sitwasyong pangkalusugan at yung healthcare system natin kailangan meron na po tayong agarang solusyon na gawin dahil napaka seryoso ng mga health problems natin na kinakaharap ng ating mga kababayan,” she said.
Andamo addressed the sight of patients lining up at public hospitals before dawn, to make it to the cut-off for the day. She continued, stating how patients crowd emergency rooms, specifically outpatient departments in public hospitals.
“Napaka-mahal po ng ating mga gamot, yung pagpapagamot, at yung pagpapa-ospital. Kaya gusto natin ng mas matinding pagbabago dito, seryosong problema kaya seryosong solusyon po ang gusto natin,” she added.
“Dapat mayroon tayong libre, sapat, kumpleto po, at dekalidad na serbisyong pangkalusugan sa lahat po ng ating public hospital,” she continued.
‘Libreng gamot at libreng pagamot’
To ensure an improved healthcare system, Andamo stated the government needs to prioritize healthcare, highlighting the importance of proper budget allocation for the sector. Andamo stressed that the allocated budget for healthcare should not be below P30 billion.
“Ibig sabihin po lampas one trillion pesos. Para yung mga pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan na libreng gamot, libreng papa-ospital, na hindi na kailangan pag-dating nila sa emergency room ng public hospital tatanungin kung meron silang card ng PhilHealth or naka-rehistro ba sila sa Konsulta package,” she emphasized.
“Basta Pilipino ka, dapat mayroon kang libreng gamot, libreng pagpapagamot sa kahit na anong sulok ng bansa po hanggang baryo po yung ating pinapangarap dyan na hindi po-probemahin ng ating bayan pag nagkasakit po,” she added.
To ensure this, Andamo mentioned barangay health stations are a must in all barangays so that every Filipino has access to proper healthcare.
Addressing the healthcare workers’ woes
Andamo stressed the government should also prioritize healthcare workers, adding that the lack of health practitioners in hospitals contributes to the challenges the latter face.
Aside from hospitals being understaffed, Andamo said several are also contractual workers.
“Ibig sabihin mga job order nurses. After three months, six months, wala na ulit silang trabaho. So paano natin mahihikayat na manatili sa ating bansa kung hindi sigurado na may trabaho pa sila ng mga buwan na ‘yan? Kaya ang isang panukala natin, dapat una yung taasan yung sahod nila,” she said.
For health professionals, she aims for at least P50,000 per month of the minimum wage. Right now, private sector nurses earn around P645 per day in NCR. For hospitals outside NCR, however, nurses earn less than the mentioned amount each day.
To address this, Andamo brought up the Magna Carta of Public Healthcare Workers, to ensure full enforcement for local government units. If elected, she will amend the Magna Carta so that healthcare workers receive the right benefits.
For private sector nurses, Andamo mentioned the Magna Carta of Private Health Workers, wherein workers would also receive enough benefits.
Ensuring the security of tenure
The National Productivity Wage Board has divided workers into two categories: agricultural and non-agricultural. Nurses in the private sector fall under the non-agricultural category. Moreover, Andamo said some nurses remain contractual workers, despite the nature of their job. Due to the current state of healthcare workers, most Filipinos are forced to apply abroad to pursue better pay and working conditions.
“Dapat po mayroon silang security of tenure. Regular sila or permanent ang kanilang mga position para hindi sila nag-aalala na after three months wala na uli silang trabaho,” Andamo said.
“Kasi pag hindi ka permanent wala kang benefits. Like kung nabuntis ka, nagkasakit ka, wala kang leave, hindi po ba napakahirap naman non. At unfair din kung nagkasakit ka dahil sa pagduduty mo wala ka manlang leave o sick leave ganon,” she added.
If nurses are compensated properly, they may be encouraged to work in the country. Additionally, better working conditions indicate that a safe nurse-to-patient ratio would be carried out.
Jocelyn “Alyn” Andamo is a nurse and health activist running for a senatorial seat under Makabayan.
