Healthcare in the Philippines: A System for the Rich, a Struggle for the Poor
Introduction:
Health care is a basic human right, but when it comes to the Philippines, having
access to medical care is completely unequal. The healthcare system is separated
into public an private sector, with the latter offering a quality service to those people
who can afford, however the other struggles with under-funding and inefficiency. This
inequality makes million of Filipinos unable to access quality medical care, continuing
worsening cycle of poverty and sickness in the country.
The financial burden of a high-cost medical care is another significant issue. Many
Filipinos face a high expense cost because the government fails to meet the demand
of support , forcing them to choose between quality health care or financial stability.
Furthermore rural population find it more challenging to access health care, as
medical facilities and professionals are mostly based on urban areas living the rural
residents less able to reach healthcare.
Given these urgent issue, this paper aims to explore the inequalities in the Philippine
Healthcare System including financial barriers, geographic and systemic
inefficiencies. It will also assess the effectiveness the existing healthcare reforms and
explore into possible solution to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor in
accessing medical care.
Reference:
1. https://healthproviders.sharedhealthmb.ca/wp-content/uploads/healthcare-in-the-
philippines.pdf
The Public vs. Private Healthcare Divide
The healthcare sector plays an important responsibilities to ensure the well-being of
population around the world. However, there exist a significant gap between public
and private healthcare system. Though both sectors have the same purpose in
providing essential healthcare, the two differ in terms of structure, accessibility,
funding and quality. It is essential to understand the healthcare system divide in order
to comprehend the advantages and the challenges of each system bring to
individuals, healthcare providers and governments.
Public hospital personnel such as Doctors and Nursing professionals are extremely
competent but the public health in the Philippines face with certain limitations.
Despite the Philippines achieving the universal health care, unequal access to
healthcare remains a challenge. As such the quality of healthcare in the Philippines is
mostly excellent in urban area but poor in rural areas. Public healthcare faces
pressure in treating the number of Filipinos depending on it. Public hospital focuses
their activities on primary and preventive care as well as leading in educating the
public on health issue. Private healthcare in the Philippines offers more consistent
care and the facilities are generally equipped than in public sectors. They are well
established and and is increasing in the Philippines. Private hospital doctors are
equal to those whose practicing in public sector, but private facilities are much better
equipped and treatment is generally faster.
Reference:
1.https://health.theceo.in/healthcare-services/public-vs-private-healthcare-
understanding-the-industry-divide/
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The High Cost of Medical Treatment
Hospital serves as vital and integral part of the society, offering fundamental services
and support to the community. In the past years, a variety of significant issues rise up
that have had an adverse effect on the financial stability and overall stability. And
there is also a notable rise in spending on health, mainly due to a combination of
various factors including economic inflation, increased expenses on prescription
drugs, higher wages for healthcare professionals in order to hire an retain employees
and other several factors.
All of these factors have an affect to the patients. People may pay higher out-of-
pocket expenses, or their health insurance doesn’t cover their medication. They may
also notice the rising of co-pay that making their health coverage less valuable. The
shortage in personnel has impact how patient get the immediate care they need.
While the high cost of treatment and procedures making them less accessible to low-
and middle- income families. Eventually, they cause great financial burden on
hospitals and other medical facilities. Rural areas are extremely affected by the
expense and the feasibility of keeping up with the advancing healthcare needs. More
than 100 rural hospital closed in the past 10 years, but in 2024, around 700 are in
danger of closing due to unsustainable cost. Additional closure would create a
healthcare crisis in rural areas, and patients must travel or fail to receive the
necessary care.
Reference:
1. https://www.ghx.com/the-healthcare-hub/healthcare-rising-costs-and-strategies/
2. https://mrinetwork.com/hiring-talent-strategy/rising-costs-of-healthcare-causes-
and-impacts-in-2024-and-beyond/
Limited Access to Healthcare in Rural Areas
A significant and pressing problem that continues to affect rural areas is their limited
access to essential healthcare services, a challenge that is primarily influenced by a
combination of geographic and economic considerations. This issue is particularly
pronounced in the Philippines, where there is a strikingly significant discrepancy in
healthcare accessibility. For example, research indicates that only 25% of the
population residing in rural areas has access to the necessary healthcare services
they require, in stark contrast to the 46% of individuals living in metropolitan areas
who are able to access these same vital services (Secret Philippines, 2023).
People in rural areas often live far from medical facilities, making it difficult and time-
consuming to get healthcare. The long and challenging journeys discourage many
from seeking medical help when they need it. As a result, people in these
communities often experience worse health because delays in diagnosis and
treatment can seriously affect their well-being (Collado, 2024). One significant
method of achieving this goal involves investing in transport infrastructure, which has
the potential to considerably enhance physical access to healthcare institutions. This
improvement can lead to decreased transport time for patients seeking medical
attention, ultimately making healthcare services more reachable and less daunting
(Collado, 2024). Furthermore, it is essential to focus on eliminating financial barriers
that currently exist, which hinder rural residents from obtaining equitable and high-
quality healthcare services. This can be accomplished by increasing health insurance
coverage options available to these populations and reducing the overall price of
medical care, thereby making it more affordable for all those in need (Coombs et al.,
2022).
The Impact of Medical Brain Drain
Healthcare providers emigrating from their own countries, otherwise referred to as
"brain drain," is extremely serious and compound issues for LMICs' healthcare
systems. This real issue results in a substantial reduction of skilled health
professionals, resulting in further making these systems poorer and making high-
quality care profoundly challenging to the extent that such care is severely necessary
for population health. In many West African nations, a variety of factors have been
identified as primary drivers of physician emigration, including but not limited to poor
working conditions that compromise the ability of healthcare providers to perform
their duties effectively, inadequate remuneration that fails to reflect the skills and
dedication of these professionals, limited opportunities for career advancement that
can lead to dissatisfaction and unfulfilled potential, and sociopolitical instability that
creates an environment of uncertainty and risk for healthcare workers (Awofeso et
al., 2023).
This realignment often translates into fewer choices for access to medical care,
especially in rural and poor communities. This widens already prevalent disparities in
health among different populations and geographic locations. Medical centers and
care are feeling the impact of the flight of numerous doctors from low- and middle-
income countries. Moreover, the loss of medical talent can severely impede the
development of local healthcare systems and significantly hinder progress toward
achieving the ambitious goals of universal health coverage, which aims to ensure
that all individuals have access to the necessary healthcare services without
suffering financial hardship.
It is critical to have active dialogue and undertake certain reforms that will improve
working conditions, pay packages, professional development opportunities, and the
sociopolitical environment in the wake of these issues. Foster an environment that
keeps existing medical personnel but also brings in new professionals to establish a
viable and efficient healthcare system that can treat a variety of populations. To
strengthen their healthcare systems in the years to come and attempt to reverse the
trend of physician emigration, LMICs must give these areas high priority.
Healthcare Reforms and the Way Forward
Enhancing the overall quality, availability, and affordability of healthcare services
provided to the public relies to a great extent on healthcare reforms. The reforms are
necessary to ensure that the public from various backgrounds is able to access the
healthcare required without encountering financial problems. Current efforts have
revolved around implementing cutting-edge technologies, including artificial
intelligence and data science, not only to enhance patient outcomes but also to
simplify numerous healthcare procedures that tend to be slow-moving and inefficient.
For example, the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) has placed high
emphasis on the tremendous value of non-technical skills, such as team coordination
and situation awareness, as integral parts in enhancing patient safety across
healthcare institutions. This system promotes the novel application of wearable
sensors and video analysis to develop a culture of ongoing improvement, which
eventually leads to improved patient care and operational effectiveness (Hunt, 2025).
Similarly, discussions and deliberations taking place in the United States have
highlighted the urgent need for trans-formative approaches to healthcare reform.
These approaches might include community investment and the development of
innovative care models to address and rectify challenges that have been
exacerbated by previous policy decisions (Phillips, 2025). Legislative efforts in the
United States over the past few years have been focused on lowering the overall cost
of health care as well as opening up more coverage opportunities for more
individuals. At least 34 bills passed both houses of the legislature during the 2024
session, showing the commitment of the government to resolving these pressing
health care issues. Evidently, both legislative interventions and technological
breakthroughs are the key to ushering in advancements that will contribute to a better
future for healthier living for all.
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