Cayetano slams DOH Secretary for lack of action on stunting
November 28, 2024
Cayetano slams DOH Secretary for lack of action on stunting
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday criticized the Department of Health (DOH) and its head, Secretary Teodoro "Ted" Herbosa, for the lack of action in addressing the issue of stunting, one of the three top public health issues in the country.
In his interpellation during the Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed 2025 budget of the DOH on November 20, 2024, Cayetano expressed his frustration over the department's current efforts to eradicate stunting, describing them as repetitive and failing to directly resolve the problem.
"If we're going to just repeat [the same approaches] next year, one-out-of-three sa mga bata na naman will be in danger of stunting," he said.
While Health Secretary Herbosa admitted that stunting remains a major public health problem, Cayetano questioned the department's decision to reduce the budget of the National Nutrition Council despite its severe impact on children's health.
"If you will be permanently stunted after two years old, you will be more prone to chronic diseases from malnutrition. So that means y'ung gastos ng PhilHealth will also go up in the future," he said.
Alarmed by studies showing that one in three Filipino children is stunted, Cayetano emphasized the importance of nutrition during the first thousand days of a child's life and questioned the DOH's decision to allocate only P1 billion for addressing this critical period.
"The total budget of DOH is, more or less, P300 billion, and MAIFIP (Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients) alone is more than P50 billion. Given that the biggest threat is malnutrition, does it make sense that you submit a budget for P1 billion for the first one thousand days then P50 billion for MAIP? It doesn't add up," he said.
Cayetano emphasized that the government's policies, particularly those of the DOH, will shape the future of public health and warned that failing to address stunting urgently would lead to more problems.
"Kahit meron kang free education, kahit meron kang puhunan para sa mga gustong mag-negosyo, kung stunted ang tao, walang silbi ang interventions," he said.
Cayetano, pinuna ang DOH Secretary sa kawalan ng aksyon laban sa stunting
Pinuna ni Senator Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Miyerkules ang Department of Health (DOH) at si Health Secretary Teodoro "Ted" Herbosa dahil sa kakulangan ng konkretong aksyon para tugunan ang problema ng stunting -- isang pangunahing isyu sa kalusugan sa bansa.
Sa pagtalakay ng proposed 2025 budget ng DOH sa Senado noong November 20, 2024, hindi itinago ni Cayetano ang kanyang pagkadismaya sa mga hakbang ng ahensya, na sinabi niyang paulit-ulit at hindi direktang tinutugunan ang ugat ng problema.
"If we're going to just repeat [the same approaches] next year, one-out-of-three sa mga bata na naman will be in danger of stunting," wika ni Cayetano.
Bagamat inamin ni Secretary Herbosa na nananatiling malaking problema ang stunting, kinuwestyon ni Cayetano ang desisyon ng DOH na bawasan ang budget ng National Nutrition Council, lalo pa't malaki ang epekto nito sa kalusugan ng mga bata.
"If you will be permanently stunted after two years old, you will be more prone to chronic diseases from malnutrition. So that means y'ung gastos ng PhilHealth will also go up in the future," wika niya.
Dahil sa mga datos na nagpapakita na isa sa tatlong batang Pilipino ang stunted, binigyang-diin ni Cayetano ang kahalagahan ng wastong nutrisyon sa unang isang libong araw ng isang bata.
Pinuna rin niya ang desisyon ng DOH na maglaan lamang ng P1 bilyon para sa kritikal na panahong ito, sa kabila ng kabuuang budget na halos P300 bilyon.
"The total budget of DOH is, more or less, P300 billion, and MAIFIP (Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients) alone is more than P50 billion. Given that the biggest threat is malnutrition, does it make sense that you submit a budget for P1 billion for the first one thousand days then P50 billion for MAIP? It doesn't add up," wika niya.
Binigyang diin ng senador na ang mga polisiya ng pamahalaan, lalo na ng DOH, ang siyang magtatakda ng hinaharap ng kalusugan ng bansa.
Dagdag niya, mas malaking hamon ang haharapin kung hindi agad tutugunan ang problema ng stunting.
"Kahit meron kang free education, kahit meron kang puhunan para sa mga gustong mag-negosyo, kung stunted ang tao, walang silbi ang interventions," wika niya.
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