Medical cannibalism

The American Heritage Dictionary defines cannibal as a person who eats the flesh of human beings, so in the discussion of Senate Bill 9502, “the Cheaper Medicine Law,” participants in the hearing conducted by Sen. Manny Villar cringed and felt nauseated when the delegate from the Bureau of Customs revealed the manufacture of capsules containing fecal tissues, human flesh and grounded bones from China prescribed for human consumption in the treatment of nutritional efficiencies and illness.

PMA has no jurisdiction on foreign health providers, but for Filipino physicians, it is unethical to offend the dignity of man in the delivery of health care by prescribing human flesh, as a therapeutic regimen. This defies human sensitivity to the extreme.

PMA supported the “Cheaper Medicine Law” in as much as the exorbitant prices of ethical drugs is a grave national concern. Doctors when sick, their families and patients feel also the burden of the cost of medicine. Nevertheless, in delivery of health care, for physicians, the high quality and effectivity of medicines take precedence over their costs.

WHO senior technical officer Dr. Klara Tisoki commented that in a country where there are many poor people, the availability and accessibility of free medicines, certainly would be a big help. PMA supported this observation and manifested that at the present high costs of medicine, even if prices will be lowered, they would still be beyond the reach of the marginalized poor. Therefore while the Cheaper Medicine Law is still not fully implemented, the health budget of the DOH should be increased to three or four percent from the current one percent share of the national budget of P1.3 trillion.

Free medicines to the poor may then be afforded.