JV Ejercito bats for funding for specialty healthcare centers in key regions
August 30, 2023
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday
expressed his support for the proposed budget of the Department of Health (DOH)
for the expansion of specialty healthcare centers across the country.
During the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing
on the health agency’s budget, Ejercito said the DOH’s budget request for the
program will be necessary in implementing President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos
Jr.’s directive to prioritize the strengthening of the country’s specialty
healthcare centers.
“One of the priority programs of this
administration is the establishment of specialty centers, which was even
mentioned by the President during his first SONA and inaugural address. This is
a very welcome development,” he said.
“But my concern is that we know for a fact
that this will entail costs, not only in infrastructure, not only in medical
equipment, but also in personnel that is needed – doctors, specialists,
healthcare workers, nurses, et cetera,” he added.
DOH Officer-in-Charge Dr. Maria Rosario
Vergiere reported that specialty healthcare centers have already been in major
hospitals in several key regions:
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Regional heart specialty centers:
Northern Mindanao Medical Center, Batangas Medical Center, and Mariano Marcos
Memorial Hospital and Medical Center.
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Regional lung specialty centers:
Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital and Vicente Sotto Memorial
Medical Center
●
Regional kidney specialty centers:
Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, Bicol Medical Center, and Vicente
Sotto Memorial Medical Center
●
Regional cancer specialty centers:
Batangas Medical Center and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center
Vergiere said the health department needs
around P2.23 billion to fund infrastructure for the establishment of new
specialty healthcare centers.
Ejercito then asked the DOH to prioritize
certain regions in ensuring that all sub-national areas in the country have
convenient access to a variety of specialty healthcare services.
Health Undersecretary Dr. Lilibeth David said
technical working groups have been organized to specify the specialty
healthcare that needs to be developed in each region.
Ejericto recently filed Senate Bill No. 161, which
seeks to establish specialty healthcare centers in every region.
