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4th Asia-Pacific
Urban Forum in Hanoi (12-14 October 2005)
Symposium C: Health
Symposium C explored modalities of effective public-private partnership
in health delivery. Mr Henry Reyes from the City Administration
of Muntinlupa shared a case study of such a public-private partnership
in the Philippines.
In 1998, the city of Muntinlupa had decided to build a hospital
to provide quality health care to its rapidly growing population.
One of the premises at that time had been and still was today
that access to health care should be a function of one’s
health needs rather than one’s ability to pay. Furthermore,
it had decided to place the operation of the hospital into the
hands of a private entity. After some initial difficulties, a
private foundation had agreed to manage the hospital. A cost-sharing
scheme had been devised based on the patient’s socioeconomic
status and government subsidies were made available. Provision
had been made that if a patient was unable to pay his or her share,
a relative of the patient could perform volunteer services at
the hospital instead.
According to Mr Reyes, the hospital had since its opening in
2001 grown from a 60-bed facility to one with more than 149 beds.
The number of available services had also increased significantly.
The success of the undertaking so far was largely being attributed
to the willingness of both the municipal government and the NGO
to assist each other and a determination to provide services to
all.
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Paper
During the discussion participants suggested that to increase
the access to health services and improve their quality, decentralization
of these services was necessary. During the process of decentralization
the potential of private sector participation should be maximized.
At the same time, it was necessary to develop a health insurance
system where national and local governments cooperate and where
health insurances for the poor were being subsidized.
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Symposium
A: Localizing MDGs
Symposium
B: Urban Environment
Symposium
C: Health
Symposium
D: Education
Symposium
E: Gender Equality
Symposium
F: E-Governance
Symposium
G: HIV/AIDS
Symposium
H: Children
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