The House of Representatives’ committee on health has approved a substitute bill seeking to establish a free basic medicine assistance program to address the health needs of those belonging to marginalized sectors, such as the poor, malnourished, elderly, women, children and the disabled.
“Based on the health agenda of our administration, it is very important that the Department of Health should focus on providing the most basic needs of our constituencies,” said Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, one of the bill’s authors and chairperson of the health panel.
“People who have less in life will soon have more in medicines,” she added.
The bill provides that the Free Basic Medicine Assistance Program or the “Libreng Gamot Program” shall be administered by the DoH through government district hospitals, local health units and barangay health centers in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The Libreng Gamot Program shall be restricted to qualified poor recipients as certified by barangay and DSWD officials.
“It is quite disheartening to note that in our country, the poor can hardly afford the exorbitant costs of medicines,” said Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing.
“We are mandated to protect the interest of our respective constituents and ensure that government support trickles down to all the communities throughout the country to benefit our countrymen,” she added.
Health Assistant Secretary Francia Laxamana said the department has already proposed an additional P500-million budget for its rural health units that will be sourced from earnings of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
“We developed certain criteria for patients who are really poor and they will get 100-percent subsistence from our department in terms of medicine allocations,” she said. With PNA