Letter to PGMA

By Gonzalo Duque

AS EXPECTED, the Philippine American medical mission, as of this writing, turned out to be a great success.

In the words of Director Jess Canto of the Regional Medical Center, “it’s so far the biggest medical mission which created an impact in the Pangasinan community.”

I have made my own observation of the program, and being equally impressed, I decided to write President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo so that it would be institutionalized.

I had expressed the wish that the President would create an inter-agency committee to regulate, develop and  advance the cause of foreign medical missions in the Philippines because of the immense benefits our people, especially the poor, who are very, very many will get  from them.

While this group of well-meaning professionals is in the admirable job of service, they are usually given the run-around, or subjected to red tape, rigid regulations, especially in the processing of their travel documents not to mention their problems with the PRC and the processing of their equipment and medicines with the Bureau of Customs.

The proposed agency should function like a one –stop shop and prevent confusion in the implementation of a very laudable program.     

Here’s my letter to PGMA:

Your Excellency Madam President:

We are pleased to share information that the Medical Mission conducted by our “kababayans” of the Philippine-American Medical Association of Georgia (PAMAG) in the city of Dagupan from February 5-9 has been a success. It has brought much needed relief to the suffering of many of our indigent citizens in the province of Pangasinan and it has brought in donations that have augmented the resources of our Regional Hospital.

Approximately three thousand were entertained and more than 80 major operations were performed. The highlights of the mission were the successful   implanting of pacemakers donated by the PAMAG and the generous donation of medical equipment to the Region 1 medical Hospital. The value of the services, supplies and hardware they have shared are of millions of pesos in worth.

But in the course of our efforts to organize the mission, we noted a number of unnecessary obstacles resulting from the compounded disarray of policies and red tape ensuing from the Bureau of Customs, Immigration, Finance, Philippine Regulations Commissions and other offices that have a say in approving the arrival and purpose of the missionaries and their cargo.

Considering that they come to bring benefit to our people, and are thus volunteers in our cause to promote public service, it is ironic that our policies and agencies are not designed to treat their purpose and presence with the kind of priority and cooperative treatment they deserve.

It is tragic to realize that the quality of special treatment and cooperation that they receive is not dependent upon a uniformed government policy but upon the political clout of whoever sponsors them.

Learning from our observations, we propose that the processing system for the approval of   foreign medical missions be improved in areas such as the following:

1. Expediting the processing of permits

2. Ensuring that all approvals would be served concomitantly

Approval to operate from the Professional Regulations Commission and permit to claim cargo, supplies and equipment form the Bureau of Customs would for example be granted at the same time.

This can be realized through the creation of a special desk or agency wherein the concerns of all above mentioned agencies may all be processed though a one-stop-shop system. Let this be designed as an exclusive interoffice agency upon which all future foreign medical missions may be applied for, processed, and approved.

Considering that medical missions concern heat issues, we further suggest that this desk or agency be under the management of the Department of Health.

We forward this suggestion as a contribution of ideas on behalf of the interest of the people who benefit form foreign medical missions, and on behalf of the interest of the missionaries who would welcome a more efficient rapport between our government and their organizations.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/)

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