'Inequity in health services still exists'

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Access to health care among Filipinos remained unequal even if the country is on track to attaining many of the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a government think tank said today.

Dr. Celia Reyes, Senior Research Fellow of state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said the recent economic gains have not translated into better and equitable social outcomes, particularly for health status.

Using official data, Reyes and her team found that people from Luzon generally have better access to health services and facilities, and thus better health situation compared to their counterpart from Visayas and Mindanao.

"In terms of hospital beds to population ratio for example, only one-third of the provinces are able to meet the required one bed for every 1,000 people. Most of these hospitals are located in the National Capital (NCR)," she said.

Reyes also cited the uneven distribution of health labor force across the country. For example, there are 28 doctors per 100,000 population in NCR whereas there are only 12 per 100,000 in Central Visayas.

Access to health facilities translates to better health situation, she said.

According to Reyes, these regional disparities need to be addressed to continue the gains achieved in the health sector.

She noted that government should put more resources and capacity-building programs for regions that persistently trail behind in terms of health indicators.