This exodus of Filipino health workers has been casting dark clouds over the Philippine health care system for many years now. In fact, according to a Health Futures Foundation study, 61 out of 79 provinces lack doctors since 2004.

Faced with the dilemma, a solution was mapped out in 2002 by three leading institutions from different sectors – the Department of Health (DoH), the Ateneo Graduate School of Business (AGSB), and Pfizer, Inc. These three organizations pooled together their resources and expertise to come up with a feasible program that would help health workers and the affected communities around the country. The program is known as the Leaders for Health Program (LHP).

Through LHP, doctors are sent to rural areas where they will provide health services to local residents. Priority areas include those places were there are no doctors or are medically deprived. As an incentive, AGSB gives the participating physicians a master’s degree in community healthcare management at the end of each service at least for four years. A typical LHP doctor serves from 50 to 80 patients a day – that’s 300,000 residents a year or 1,200,000 beneficiaries at the end of his four-year service.

An LHP volunteer doctor earns his master’s degree by providing valuable medical and disease management information to help promote best health practices in the community. His task is made easier with the participation and cooperation of local residents and community leaders. One of the volunteer doctors assigned in Surigao del Norte, Dr. Arlene Sebastian, best expressed the common feeling among other volunteers: “I no longer feel just a doctor. I am a community organizer and educator as well.”

Besides the residents’ empowerment to help in problem solution, they also receive funds for the implementation of such solutions through the LHP’s Donors’ Forum. Through this forum, health and development projects are discussed. The proponent municipality is likewise given the opportunity to interact with potential donors like foreign embassies, private foundations, and NGOs.

One of the beneficiaries of such linkage is Malimono, Surigao del Norte’s ‘Bangka sa Baryo’ project where emergency and transport services are made operational through a Php1.2M loan and Php600,000 grant from the Peace and Equity Foundation. A second loan and grant has already been secure from the same donor and partner to purchase a second motor boat. The same fund will also be used to finance the town’s capacity-building training in entrepreneurial development. More similar projects have already been completed while others are in the implementation stage in various municipalities.

AGSB Dean Dr. Alfredo Bengzon emphasized on the importance of involvement from local executives in the fulfillment of LHP’s goals. “Healthcare should be treated as a community concern and not just of the doctor-volunteer. More than the doctor’s idealism and willingness to sacrifice, the LHP also requires the commitment and involvement of the mayors and the rest of the officials.”

Residents of participating municipalities are also taught how to improve sanitation and hygienic practices, providing more households in pilot areas with sanitary toilets and access to safe and potable water. The CARAGA town of Pilar (Level II) increased the number of households with sanitary toilets by a huge 58% -- from 578 in 2002 to 914 in 2005. A total of 1,033 households gained access to safe water in 2005 when not one had any in 2002.

Morbidity rates from 2002 to 2005 have also recorded tremendous improvement over the years since the implementation of LHP. In the town of Tubajon, diseases like gastroenteritis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and anemia are no longer the leading causes of morbidity in 2005. In Socorro, bronchitis dropped from second to eighth leading morbidity case in 2005. Infant mortality, on the other hand, was down from 62 in Socorro and 31 in Pilar, to 0.

Pfizer, a leader in research and development among pharmaceutical companies worldwide, is also known for its full commitment to supporting community-based programs such as LHP. “We at Pfizer are proud to continue to be part of this worthy endeavor. We believe it is having a significant and long-lasting impact on the delivery of healthcare services in the country, particularly to far-flung and medically underserved communities in the country,” says general manager Albert G. Mateo.