MORE COOPERATIVE OWNED HEALTH CLINICS

MORE COOPERATIVE OWNED HEALTH CLINICS In theory, cooperatives could own and operate any business under the sun, provided that it is legal. Given that premise, it is therefore perfectly doable and allowable for a cooperative to own and operate a health clinic, even a hospital, for that matter. Since there are no legal impediments towards doing that, the coops should go towards that direction, and they should get help if they want to do that. It's no big secret that the existing Rural Health Units (RHUs) are almost always ill-equipped, short-funded and are lacking in doctors, nurses and other related health professionals. As a matter of fact, you will be lucky if you can find a doctor in an RHU, more so in the Geographically Isolated and Depressed Areas (GIDAs), as defined by DOH. As part of my advocacy, I am now convincing some satellite based internet service providers (ISPs) to look for possible uses of their services that would have a social impact in remote areas, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. Also, as part of my advocacy, I have invited Dr. Luis Ramon Rodriguez, President of Philippine Medical Depot (PMD), to make his “Healthy Me” all-in-one kiosk innovation available to coops under affordable terms. Hopefully, with the combination of these ISPs and PMD, more coops could put up their own health clinics. IKE SENERES/5-24-24