More often than not, we do not fully realize the different issues in the Philippine health care system because it is masked with what we see in the developed parts of our country. The sad reality is that inequities exist and it is growing at an alarming rate, leading to poor health outcomes and affecting the poorest of our people. It's about time that we look BEYOND the statistics and listen to their stories.
HEAL the RP.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
When Ana cried out from labour pains in the middle of the night, alarm spread quickly among the shanties.
“Let us help you carry her,” Lily’s husband, Ben, told Mario.
“But to where?” Mario asked, in panic. “We don’t have enough money yet. Not even for jeepney fare.”
“Here,” Lily said, putting a small plastic bag with some bills and coins into his hand. “We all pitched in with what we could spare. That should be enough to take you both to the lying-in clinic and then back home with the baby. The men will help you carry her out to the road to get a ride.”
“Thank you,” Mario replied emotionally, clutching the gift tight.
“Go now,” Lily urged.
The sense of urgency didn’t seem to be shared by the staff members at the public lying-in clinic. When Mario brought Ana in, they were told to wait.
“Your contractions are still far apar,” the woman there told Ana. “It’s still going to take some time.”
Somehow, though, the couple felt relieved that they had arrived with time to spare.
The contractions did begin to come at closer and closer intervals. It was already morning, and Ana could barely speak between contractions when she was handed a sheet of paper by the same woman.
“Ask your husband to buy these things now,” the woman said.
Ana’s eyes widened as she looked at the list.
“B-but how much will all these cost?” she asked.
“Only about 750 pesos,” the woman replied.
“We don’t have the money,” Ana blurted out.
“You can’t give birth here without all these things,” the woman shrugged. “Tell your husband to find a way.”
Ana told Mario something else entirely. “Take me home,” she said. “They won’t allow me to give birth here if we don’t have 750 pesos to buy the requirements.”
They just had enough money to get a ride home. Ana was already moaning inecessantly, and Mario was almost in tears by the time they arrived back at the community.
Once again, the neighbors helped the young couple get to the midwifery just outside the community.
“We can all vouch for them, Ma’am,” Lily told the midwife. “They will pay, although in installments. They just don’t have the money right now.”
It seemed that Mrs. Belen was used to such an arrangement. Ana was whisked into the delivery room. By the afternoon of the same day, Ana and Mario were home with their son AND a bill of 3000 Pesos from Mrs. Belen, payable in monthly installments for a year.
“We will pay,” Mario promised. “Even if I have to walk to and from work to save money. What’s important is that Ana had a safe delivery and Junior is fine.”
(an excerpt from Once, in an Urban Poor Community - WHO, 2008.)
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarita_pequinita/2652320939/
