Abstract:
Health is a universal right (SDG 3) and health is political, but health should be
shielded from political factors to ensure continuity. The issues of governance amid the
priorities of the CEOs are very much apparent and bring with it the increased burden
being trickled down not just to our health workers, but also to the wider community who
consumes the health services. The study aimed to explore the effects of devolution in
health service delivery amid the COVID-19 pandemic for both the public health setting
and the government hospital setting. This study deployed interviews with various
representatives from the health sector. It tackled questions relating to Health Financing,
Health Personnel Deployment, Health Service Delivery, and Overall COVID Response.
The results of the study yielded that the Public Health setting and the
Government Hospital Setting in Manila both experienced problems with health service
delivery due to the onset of the pandemic which crippled many of their personnel due to
burnout, anxiety, and COVID scares. The budgetary considerations for both settings
were also tied to health services and personnel which ultimately were dependent on
budgeting from the national and local governments which were at risk of cuts. The
overall COVID response allowed the researcher to see that the shock of the pandemic
jolted the creation of COVID Isolation Facilities, COVID Wards, and the delay in certain
workers’ wages and benefits all through lack of funding. The call for a more
people-centered health system is hinged on the calls for health reform policies and
better governance from elected and appointed officials alike. This ensures the continuity
of care for not just the communities but also alleviates the burden of the health workers.
