PPP in health

Back-to-back events were held last October 23 at the Asian Development Bank premises and October 25 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, hosted by Ambassador Stephen Lillie to toast the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in health. A firm handshake is definitely in the offing between the business sector and the Department of Health.

At the launch of “PPP in Health Manila 2012,” held in Asia for the first time, foreign and local health policy-makers studied the most effective approaches to upgrade local health services for better quality and reach, by working with the private sector. Other health professionals, chief executive officers, health sector leaders, academicians and researchers also attended the conference.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona read the keynote speech for President Benigno Aquino. He stated that the Aquino administration has been exploring ways to “maximize the health system and improve the health of the people,” in the last two years.

The International PPP Specialist Centre (IPSC) for health was also launched during the occasion. ADB, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Australian Government supported the project. Philippines was chosen for the documentation of lessons in local PPP ventures and international best practices. Geoffrey Hamilton of UNECE admits that PPP in health is only beginning. He looks forward to an objective evaluation of success for PPP health projects.

Ona decried the insufficient public health system. “Regardless of how much government would give to the health sector, there will never be enough funds for healthcare.” He sees the private sector participating by providing services, sharing updated knowledge and shaping best practices in health delivery.

But not everyone is happy about this development. A coalition of trade unions under the banner of Nagkaisa held a flash protest to denounce the “full-scale privatization program announced by President Aquino at the ADB meeting.” Around 200 workers from different groups tried to enter the PICC complex but were prevented by the police. Nagkaisa said the Aquino’s policy of using PPP to boost economic growth is the “final nail on the coffin in which to bury consumers’ protection and workers’ rights.”

Rene Magtubo, national chairman of Partido Manggagawa fumed, “President Aquino should not cover up the number of poor in the Philippines and the ADB should not wash its hands of the worsening poverty in the country. The ADB is an instrument of corporate greed that has aggravated the destitution of the 99 percent in Asia…

“The ADB meeting’s theme of inclusive growth is mere double-speak for its policies of privatization are tailor-fit to facilitate the fire sale of state-owned assets to giant multinationals and big capitalists. As a result of ADB-funded privatization, the costs of electricity and water in the Philippines have skyrocketed and as a result workers’ real wages have fallen despite yearly increase in nominal wages,” he added.

Some government health workers also walked out of their posts to protest the plan to privatize government hospitals like the Philippine Orthopedic Center and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. They claimed that poor Filipinos would be deprived of health services because privatization would result in higher costs of services.

While these allegations sound like the usual militant diatribe, is the fear well founded? After all, the private sector has always been profit-oriented. Ona’s response was that a robust and vibrant health insurance system, is the key to making the PPP in health a success. He was optimistic that “soon all will be covered by PhilHealth,” putting even complicated procedures within reach of ordinary Filipinos. The goal of the PPP in health is a health system that is “affordable, accessible and high-quality.” He also confirmed that a new Philippine Orthopedic Center will be built manned by government staff while hospital equipment will be financed by the private sector.

The breakfast with Ambassador Lillie was the prequel to UNFPA’s Summit on Family Planning in the Business Sector scheduled November. CEOs and other stakeholders were invited to discuss how improved family welfare and the promotion of family planning boost business productivity.

Secretary Ona said in his keynote address, “The important role of the private sector in providing RH and FP services cannot be overemphasized. The magnitude and challenges of needs are too great for any one country, organization or sector to address alone, and global partnerships are emphasizing shared responsibilities for improving health outcomes for example, in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.”

At the global summit last July, the organizers reported that commitments made by the country participants resulted in 200,000 fewer women dying in pregnancy and childbirth; more than 110 million less unintended pregnancies; over 50 million fewer abortions and nearly 3 million fewer babies dying in their first year of life.

European Union Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said, “Helping to provide planning services is one of the best investments that a country can make in the future. In today’s world, all women must have the ability to choose the size of their families. It is about promoting gender equality and women’s rights; but it is also about protecting maternal and child health.”

In a USAID study, “Return on Investment” from factories that implemented workplace family planning programs in Egypt and Pakistan, reported fewer error rates on finished products and monitored significant decreases in absenteeism and turnover.

With the active participation of the business community, Ona hopes that the private sector’s know-how in the areas of timely financing, better operational efficiency, highly responsive services and dominant market presence will help meet the unmet needs of six million women and poor families.

One thing is sure. With Public-Private Partnership, the social consciousness of Big Business might get aroused, since there seems to be a definite correlation between family planning in the workplace and profitability.

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