OZAMIZ
CITY: An organization of doctors involved in the healthcare of rural and urban
poor communities, has called on the health department “to undertake more useful
and practical actions for Ebola preparation rather than token measures and
misleading propaganda.”
The
Community Medicine Practitioners and Advocates Association (Compass), in a press
release sent to The Philippine Preview, said the act of DOH puts them always on
the defensive.
It
cited for example to that of the time during the escorting of the peacekeepers
to Caballo Island, the recent visit of Asec. Janette Garin to Caballo and the personal
protective equipment to be used.
The
doctors group said the DOH has been putting instead the blame on the health
workers, the people and the media as ranting and hyping too much on Ebola and
creating hysteria.
Compass
president, Dr. Joseph A Carabeo said in the statement that it is the DOH sowing
the confusion because it is says one thing and does another regarding the Ebola
quarantine.
“The
DOH itself has been amiss in disseminating the basic information on this
disease to the general public, so that people can be more aware and become part
of health preparation,” said Carabeo .
All
together, Compass added that trained health personnel in selected medical
institutions “feel short-changed on how to deal with an epidemic and were not
consulted.”
Compass
mentioned the new “political mileage” of the health department by initially contemplating
to send a team of volunteer health care workers to West Africa amidst strong
public opinion against it.
It
said that Malacanang at present wants to send again a medical team to Ebola stricken
countries, a move they said is “ironic considering our own national government
budget for health is grossly inadequate for our health needs.”
Compass
said the DOH’s share in total health expenditure has decreased to 18.5 percent
two years ago, resulting in the persistent unacceptable level of out of pocket
spending of more than 50 percent of the same year.
The
government, it said, has not guaranteed the right of Filipinos to quality
health services and has not launched a comprehensive health human resource
master plan.
The
minimum requirement of a health professional in every barangay is being
by-passed, it continued, while health workers are not provided with rightful
increase in wages and hazard pay mandated by the Magna Carta of Health Workers.
“DOH
should not only accelerate the preparations to prevent the entry of Ebola into
the country and prepare not only the hospital system but the local health units
as well, it said.
“The
success of cutting the transmission of Ebola or any emerging infectious disease
in our country depends on empowered communities and health workers who are
consulted and informed, it ended.”