By LUZ RIMBAN
TWO presidential candidates said they were fit to run the country despite some health problems.
Bagumbayan Party candidate Richard Gordon said his blood pressure was normal although he is a little overweight from overeating. Administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro said he was taking maintenance medicine for hypertension and high blood sugar, and he had a gall bladder waiting to be removed.
The two candidates spoke at the Presidential Forum on Health sponsored by the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) held at the Medical City Tuesday evening.
Gordon and Teodoro were the only candidates who showed up at the forum which focused on the health issues that PCP officials said should be higher in up the agenda of presidential candidates. These issues include access to health care, especially by the poor, and the exodus of health professionals for greener pastures abroad.
The two candidates responded to questions posed mainly by doctors in the audience, one of whom asked, “May we know your current state of health and what measure you are taking to make sure you’re in good health?”
“I have a sore throat right now and I need a little sleep, but nonetheless I’m pretty good,” Gordon replied.
He added that his blood pressure was normal and that his only problem was his weight.
“I’m not worried about anything right now. I’m a little overweight because of all the eating. When you’re campaigning they feed you everything. Unfortunately, sometimes we get stressed out and we do eat and that’s one thing we really have to watch out for,” Gordon said.
For his part, Teodoro said, “I had the good fortune of inheriting a lot of things from my parents, to include hypertension and high blood sugar for which I take maintenance medicine every day. Aside from that, aside from a gall bladder that needs to be taken out as soon I have time, I’m okay.”
Teodoro did not expound on his gall bladder problem.
The two candidates were one in saying there was a need to invest more funds into health services, and to increase the salaries of doctors, nurses and other health workers to prevent them from leaving the country.
They also agreed that local government units that earn more and could afford to spend more should invest more in health.
The first hour of the two-hour forum was aired live on ANC and hosted by Ricky Carandang.
[Listen to excerpts from the forum]