AS PART of his cancer prevention and awareness drive, Quezon City’s first district Rep. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde has called for the creation of the National Cancer Institute of the Philippines (NCIP).
The first-year lawmaker has already authored House Bill 3079 or an act creating the National Cancer Institute of the Philippines last August 3, still pending under the Committee on Health after it was first read on August 8.
“We must aim for more cancer survivors than to see some cancer fatalities in years to come that’s why we need an institute which will formulate and promote the implementation of a comprehensive cancer control plan with the aim of overcoming the disease,” Atayde, 32, explained.
An institution, he said, is needed to promote a healthy environment and approval of drugs or medical devices that are incredibly important in cancer treatment with connection to the Bureau of Foods and Drugs, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, among others.
Atayde, the former actor, added cancer patients should be entitled with appropriate treatment based on scientific knowledge and establish a system, where everyone can avail the equitable distribution of medical cancer care regardless of patient’s financial capability.
“Every cancer patient will be treated fair — poor or rich — under the NCIP once it is enacted into a law,” he added. “The NCIP must also strengthen policies on cancer prevention through education and information dissemination to the public by health care professionals and institutions as well.”
He said the secretaries of Department of Health, Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development and National Institutes of Health would become part of the NCIP as ex officio members of the board.
Meanwhile, Atayde along with his team also paid a visit to cancer patients in East Avenue Medical Center and Philippine Children’s Medical Center recently in Quezon City.
He showed some love last Wednesday by giving away food and toys to all the cancer patients, mostly kids in the vicinity, and before walking around in some areas to find out the current conditions of the patients and hospital facilities.
“We checked the situation of the patients, and we held a consultative discussion with the administrators of both East Avenue Medical and Philippine Children’s Medical Center to find out the present situation of the facilities of the hospitals,” Atayde said.
East Avenue Medical Center’s chief Dr. Alfonso Nuñez and Philippine Children’s Medical Center’s head Dr. Sonia Gonzalez discussed to Cong. Atayde their present plans and what are needed to improve their respective hospitals.
“It’s a fruitful discussion between us and the hospital administrators, so in a few days we can prepare the supplies that we can give to our cancer patients and the hospitals. This is part of my advocacy to provide medical assistance to the people of our district and others as well,” he said.
