Senator Grace Poe reached out to senior citizens when she returned to her home province of Pangasinan, where she vowed to improve healthcare for the elderly.
In a campaign sortie in San Nicolas town yesterday, Poe said the government should make sure that local communities have full access to essential medicines. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) figures in 2012 showed that medicines account for more than half of out-of-pocket expenditures of Filipino patients.
A December 2015 survey of Pulse Asia also found that health was the top concern of Filipinos.
“What we want is this: You should be able to get your maintenance medicines faster and easier, whether for diabetes, high blood pressure or anything else. The government should still provide you these medicines even if you can’t pay for them,” Poe said.
Public facilities, she added, must be well-equipped to effectively serve the marginalised sectors of society such as the elderly.
The PSA found that 66% of Filipinos seek medical care from public hospitals, rural health units and barangay (village) health centres.
This is particularly true among the poorest Filipinos who use public health facilities 90% of the time.
“Barangay health centres should be able to provide for your medical needs daily, whether you have cough or fever of malaise. So that you will not have to always go to a hospital,” Poe said.
The lone independent presidential aspirant also wants a government programme that will provide employment for senior citizens who are still physically able and mentally sharp to work again.
Senior citizens constitute 7% or around 6mn of the Philippine household population in 2010.