ANGARA BATS FOR TELEMEDICINE IN RP

Senator Edgardo J. Angara today said that although the Influenza A (H1N1) - or swine flu - outbreak has darkened global prospects for recovery by 2010 introducing panic and distress to economies already broken by the global financial crisis, the country may have found a helpful response in the form of the country's National Telemedicine system.

"Gradually recuperating from last year's credit crunch, financial systems around the world are again reeling under the unexpected shock of the swine flu outbreak and successive natural disasters. Investors - foreign investors in particular - are again jittery, damaging emerging market currencies and stocks. The travel and tourism sectors also suffer a direct and severe hit. In anticipation of decreased demand for livestock, corn and other feed stocks have also dropped. These, and concerns over a prolonged economic downturn and prompted oil prices to fall," said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance and Science and Technology.

He added, "Amidst a global recession, any further drop in productivity could have an exacerbated impact on local economies. Should the shock of swine flu or the spread of leptospirosis due to continued flooding , increase the estimated unemployment rates even by a percentage, this would have far-reaching consequences on the economy, affecting people's capability to pay mortgages and tempering an already dampened consumer appetite, to name a few."

He said that while the government has been quick to respond to these emerging diseases, so far, these measures, such as frequent bulletins and medicine advices, don't seem to be enough. For instance, he added, it is very possible that these diseases develop resistance against prescribed drugs.

Angara added that the country must think long-term in preparing for the health threats. More than anything, the swine flu, dengue, leptospirosis outbreak emphasizes the need to invest in public health infrastructure, both to prevent and battle upcoming health threats, the senator said. Further, he cited that it underlines the need for concerted cooperation among health units all over the country, so that they may readily detect and deliver swift and quality treatment to patients suspected to have the disease.

In 2009 National Budget, the senator allotted P100 million for a National Telehealth System as part of the government's stimulus package. It provides an avenue for information-sharing among health professionals, which is necessary to provide necessary remote diagnosis of illness and injury that is critical in emergency care.

"Very often during periods of austerity, we see cutbacks in public spending in healthcare, we ought to rethink this bias against health spending, and highlight the imperative of providing access to healthcare to Filipinos. A good measure of a society's level of civilization is how it treats its members' health," added Angara, who currently chairs Congressional Commission on Science & Technology, and Engineering (COMSTE) and the main author of PhilHealth Act.