MANILA - The Philippines is planning to establish a National Patient Navigation and Referral Center or One Hospital Command Center (NPNRC-OHCC) that will house personal and diagnostic information of patients for a nationally integrated reference system, Department of Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said on Monday.

"The NPNRC envisions itself to become the leading navigation and referral institution for integrated healthcare services by 2030," Vega said in a public forum for the International Health Coverage Day.

The proposed NPNRC is inspired by the One COVID Referral System that was launched last year to centralize COVID-19 patient referrals.

Beyond COVID-19 patients and into general medical services, the NPNRC will "interconnect the services and resources among healthcare facilities and between healthcare workers as it aims to streamline the nation’s healthcare system," said Vega.

• READ: COVID-19 referral system says calls for hospital admissions slightly down

Its proposed establishment is also based on House Bill 9633, titled an "Act Establishing a National Patient Navigation and Referral System for the Purpose of Strengthening the Provision of the Health Care Delivery System", that was filed last June to aid along the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.

• READ: Health care for all: Duterte signs Universal Healthcare Act

CENTRALIZED REFERRAL SYSTEM

Vega said that the NPNRC will seek to accommodate all medical calls from communities, health facilities, local governments, and other sources by securing a centralized hotline number that is easy to use and can be understood "regardless of educational attainment and age.”

All data gathered will be stored in a yet to be acquired cloud and physical storage for electronic medical records (EMR).

This will make data readily available to different health and receiving facilities.

The data collected through the NPNRC may be used to advance and improve emergency responses available in the country to decongest hospitals and redirect patients to appropriate institutions, increase efficiency, and save on resources from repetitive tests and diagnostic exams.

Statistics may also be used for policy making and research development.

• READ: Sonaserye 2021: Universal health care ng gobyerno, sinubok ng pandemya

Vega assured that all EMR are protected by the Data Privacy Act, which will be ensured by the NPNRC.

The roles and responsibilities of the NPNRC have been adopted by some of the existing regional emergency operations center under the centers for health development, through the establishment of its regional counterparts in Regional Patient Navigation and Referral Units.

No target date for the national implementation of the NPNRC has been disclosed, but Vega said that the health department is already working to secure a hotline and will pilot projects which will serve as basis for national implementation.

• READ: Go eyes amending Universal Health Care law to defer PhilHealth contribution hike

ACCESS TO MEDICINE

Meanwhile, the forum also highlighted the health department's efforts to ensure affordability and predictability of medicines by placing price caps.

Undersecretary Charade Mercado-Grande of the Health Regulatory Team said that a Drug Regulatory Price Index (DRPI) will be used as reference for the the government's procurement of medicines for 2022.

The health department has also entered into an agreement with the Philippine Competition Commission to ensure competitiveness in the pharmaceutical market to prevent prices from shooting up with the monopoly of certain brands for specific medicines.

The UHC will revive the "Botika ng Bayan" project to help deliver medicines to certain areas, primarily 4th and 5th class municipalities, and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA).

• READ: 'Botika ng Bayan' muling bubuksan?

CITY AND PROVINCIAL HEALTH SYSTEM INTEGRATION

In the same forum, South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo and Cagayan De Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno shared the efforts of their respective local government units to implement the UHC.

In South Cotabato, local governments pooled funds to kickstart the implementation by strengthening the provincial health office structure with the recommendation of its committees.

Tamayo said they are looking into scaling up partnership with private sectors to provide more health care services to more residents.

In Cagayan de Oro, health reforms that began in 2013 helped them get ahead of the game, Moreno said, highlighting the very crucial role of community involvement.

The city has also established an electronic medical record keeping system in partnership with the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development-DOST and Ateneo de Manila.

The Smarter and Integrated Local Health Information System for Cagayan de Oro City (SmILHIS CDOC) Project is in its debugging phase with three pilot barangays participating.

Because of this, the city has secured a database of eligible and non-eligible PhilHealth members, which helps the local government identify and redirect aid to those who are not yet covered by the insurance system.

• READ: Why Universal Health Care Bill matters

DOH Planning Division Heath Policy and Planning Bureau Dr. Maria Socorro Santos, meanwhile, explained the devolution plan of the heath department for the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Act.

Under this the plan, the devolved healthcare system of the country, which places implementation and procurement on a national level, will be changed. Local government and local healthcare units and systems will be "nationalized," and will be integrated into a healthcare system that functions together on a national level.

• READ: Public health centers incapable of fulfilling Universal Health Care promise: DOH official

The devolution transition plan has been submitted by the DOH to the budget department. Its approval is expected in December together with the approval of the General Appropriations Act for 2022.

Tax allotment for health will increase to help in getting additional resources for delivering health services.

Santos reiterated that the devolution plan diverts functions, and the budget will come from tax allotment and not from DOH.

• READ: PhilHealth seeks delay of Universal Healthcare implementation

The devolution is expected to strengthen local autonomy, provincial and city-wide health systems, and increase accountability. It is also seen to streamline the health financing mechanism, prevent duplication and overlapping roles in payment, and improve efficiency in allocation of budgets in the local government level.

Provinces will be responsible for the delivery of health services in provincial and tertiary hospitals; while municipalities and cities are responsible for providing maternal and child care, management and treatment of communicable and non-communicable diseases, purchase of medicines, rehabilitation of drug abuse, nutrition and clinics, healthcare, and others.

• READ: DOH signs Universal Health Care implementing rules

Health Sec. Francisco Duque III and Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire both underlined the need for cooperation and unity among local governments, the private sector, the academe, and communities to make universal health care a reality.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv