The Dismal (or Lack of) Medical Services in the Philippines

Filipino citizens face a horrifying life and death struggle at the hands of their hospital system.

Any time a Filipino faces a medical emergency going to the hospital does not mean that they will get the medical attention to save their lives.

Rodrigo Duterte takes his oath as he is sworn in as the 16th President of the Philippines, 30 June 2016 / Public Domain

This past month I came across a true story of how a daughter had to leave the comfort of the USA to go to her ailing father in the Philippines.  Her 78 year old father was admitted into the hospital of General Santos for multiple ailments.  Suffice to say he lost consciousness due to complications of diabetes and a month long struggled ensued to save his life.

In the United States and other First World Countries, going to the hospital is not hard.  In the United States, by law if you have a medical emergency they have to admit you.  Not so in the Philippines.  Before her father got admitted into the hospital they had to sell his motorcycle for a down payment.  Once he was inside, the doctors could not do anything to him unless the family members could go outside the hospital to the nearest pharmacy to buy the medicine and every medical supply needed by the doctors and nurses to do their work.  That is completely insane!  As a result, now they have mounting medical bills they must pay. (Incidentally if you would like to help them, a GoFund Me page has been set up, you may click on this link so help them out and read their full story---GRANDFATHER HELP.)

At the hospital many more patients were admitted.  A child had the measles, and because of the lack of medical care he died.  Another gentleman had a stroke, he had been in a coma for over a week to see if he would wake up.  He didn't.  These medical emergencies could have been resolved, but they were not because after the families had their loved one admitted there was no way they could buy the drugs and medicines to help their loved one survive!!  So what is the point of having hospitals in the Philippines if the poor cannot be treated?

What makes the matter worse is that once they die, like it happened with the one year old baby, and others--the family is asked to pay all the doctors' and hospital fees before the body can leave.  It is the policy of all hospitals in this country to keep the body even if the family cannot pay.  This is an affront to humanity.  It will become imperative for President Duterte to get rid of this inequality.  It is a horrifying feeling that your loved one is dying, they can't help them for being poor, and once they die the hospital keeps the body!

Thankfully the Philippines does have some form of help for some of their most needy.  They do have Philhealth, which is a national insurance that pays at the most 20 percent of the medical expenses, but it doe not cover it all.  The grandfather's family still has to come up over with $14,000 dollars out of their pocket to pay.  That is why if you are willing to help them please do click and share this link with all that will be touched by their story at GRANDFATHER HELP.

Another important thing to consider is that the funeral expenses will be extra.  The least a funeral will cost is the equivalent of $3,000 dollars.  For people that are able to, this is a very good reason to get life insurance or funeral insurance to pay for expenses that your loved one will not have the money for.  This is perhaps one of the most important lessons persons that go through this heartache will face.  And make no mistake, EVERYONE will experience this. So if you can, now is the time to get life or funeral insurance!  It is a matter of life and death. Incidentally the grandfather mentioned in this story passed away.  To help this family and others in this similar situation please visit their donations page: GRANDFATHER HELP.  Thank you.