Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan: Extending Healthcare to the masses

“Back in the 70’s, a statistics report was released, stating that 7 out of 10 Filipinos died without even seeing a doctor,” narrated Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan. Dr. Tan knew what he was saying; being a former Health Secretary and an affiliate of numerous humanitarian organizations, he has knowledge of Philippine healthcare matched only by a few. This glaring statistic from the past may have worsened today, and if the Filipinos are to continue living without illnesses, steps must be taken to improve the quality of healthcare. What no better way to spearhead this thrust than to use the wisdom from the experiences of Dr. Tan.

From Samar to Cordillera, Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan knows all too well the meaning of service. His humanitarian works have earned him the attention of WHO, UNICEF and other organizations, and the position of Health Secretary during the time of President Ramos. If anyone has the solution to the declining healthcare quality in the country, it’s this doctor, full of wisdom from experience.

Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan did not become Health Secretary overnight; his family background, academic roots and personal conviction contributed to his success story that spanned many years. “My father was a big inspiration to me,” says Dr. Tan, “…He was a medical doctor, and while he was working in hospitals in Manila, I would remember him treating very poor people without charge.” Dr. Tan added, “He showed the same compassion to them as he would with paying patients.” When he got older, he was educated by the Benedictines in San Beda, under the saying Ora et Labora – Prayer and Work. Finally, he stepped on UP and became an iskolar ng bayan. “When the country was at the thresholds of change, there was a lot of nationalism…iskolar ka ng bayan, at dapat maglingkod ka,” says Dr. Tan. Likewise, the release of the grim statistic all the more fired his resolve to serve the needy.

His work after his graduation from UP emphasized his man-for-others mentality. “I truly enjoyed my 10 years of working with the rural poor. I went to doctor- and electricity-less communities in Samar and Leyte,” reminisced Dr. Tan, “…I stayed there from 3 years and then I had short stints in Cordillera and in Negros. With my wife I stayed in Cotabato, Agusan and Davao.” Despite doing charitable deeds in places where average people would find repulsive, he proclaimed those years he spent there as the best. “My greatest joy upon leaving an area,” said Dr. Tan, “…was the thought that I had empowered the people.” Afterwards, he took his masters in Europe, and upon returning he spent his next 7 years with the urban poor. All the work that he had done earned him the attention of the World Health Organization and UNICEF, putting into the limelight his modest deeds.

During his tenure as Health Secretary, he worked with Dr. Flavier to put their vision into motion: to put health in the hands of the people. “Our motivation was to bring healthcare to the grassroots, to the urban and rural poor. When I look back at our plan, it was really meant to reach the farthest areas of the country,” said Dr. Tan. Being in service at the time of President Fidel Ramos, where progress was arguably at its peak, implementation of the plan became easier. “Being a former general, there was an ample peace in the land. Then there was an influx of foreign investments, and our cities began to grow.”

The health issues during his time, if not the same, have worsened today. According to him, the country right now is beset by two problems, namely the declining health budget and the large-scale emigration of doctors and nurses. “Health funding was at an all-time low last year, with a share of 1% of the national budget. Also, never in the country’s history had we had so many emigrants,” pointed Dr. Tan. In comparison, the WHO recommends 5 to 8 percent of the national budget for health, and the doctor and nurse exportation has ballooned from a thousand a year in the last 8 years to 20,000 a year.

What would Dr. Tan tell the current Health Secretary? “I tell Health Secretary Duke that the budget share is objectionable, and that he should be at the Cabinet meetings to say ‘Hey wait, you can’t deprive our own people of our doctors and nurses.’”

Dr. Tan believed that the “…hallmark of progress in any country is science and technology.” The country can see progress if the government could invest enough in marine and medicinal plant researches. “Science and technology can make a nation self-sufficient in industry. For example, chemists analyze medicinal plants, engineers make machines to extract their juices, and marketing wizards sell the final product to the world. This is an example of how science and technology can be beneficial not only to our health but to our economy.”

As parting gifts after the interview, Dr. Tan left these words: “Science should be in the service of the people, because it is responsible for improving lives and instigating progress.” But with its current state in the Philippines, it is far from being truly in service. Thus, it is up to the professionals, administrators and scientists to change the scientific climate in the country by using their specialties to serve the needy. “Science should not only be for those who can afford it, but also to those who can’t,” he said. None could have predicted its role in the future better than Dr. Tan. Ultimately, individuals can make this possible with their passion and resolve, until such a time comes where all statistics would point towards the excellence of science and technology in service to the people.