TAKING cue from the repeated appeals of the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAP), the Inter-Agency Task Force directed the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to waste no time and immediately pay up its obligations to hospitals in areas deemed as high risk and critical.
In a statement farmed out to the media, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque cited the need for PhilHealth to comply, citing that these high risk and critical areas will form part of the priority list of areas for the COVID-19 vaccine allocation, human health resource deployment, and other relevant COVID-19 responses, as applicable.
Interestingly, PhilHealth’s Circular 2021-0004 embarks on a limited priority for payment. The circular provides that only hospital reimbursement bills from healthcare facilities in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Bulacan and Pampanga would be settled – at least for the time being.
The IATF also hinted at utilizing the Feasibility Analysis of Syndromic Surveillance Using Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Modeler for Early Detection of Diseases projections on target beds and human resources for health.
“These projections will identify health capacity needs required to lower health care and intensive care unit (ICU) utilization rates. The NTF shall also review and implement the recommended Prevent-Detect-Isolate-Treat- Reintegrate strategies to reduce the health utilization rates and augment the needs of human resources for health,” Roque said.
The Palace spokesperson added that the government will identify target additional beds on a weekly basis that will substantially reduce health care and ICU utilization rates, determine and list specific health facilities and infrastructure to contribute these additional beds and operationalize how these beds become functional with adequate human resources for health and equipment.
Roque also remains confident that the government would be able to come up with 200 additional ICU beds for COVID-19 patients.
Metro Manila, Calabarzon region, Bulacan, Quirino, Abra and Santiago City in Isabela are all under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until April 30. These areas restrict non-essential trips. It also partly shuts down non-essential businesses and services.
Under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until the end of the month are Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Quezon province, Tacloban City, Iligan City, Davao City and Lanao Del Sur. Localities under GCQ partly allow leisurely trips and non-essential business and services to operate.
Interestingly, the IATF tapped the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to develop training and instructional materials to strengthen COVID-19 response at the barangay level, following blunders.