The government is allotting over P2 billion to aid cancer patients in the country under the proposed 2024 national budget, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Tuesday.
Pangandaman said the prevention, treatment, and control of non-communicable diseases such as cancer is one of the key priorities of the administration.
She said some 18,695 cancer patients will benefit from P1.024 billion in funds under the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, which will cover the procurement of 61 different cancer commodities such as Trastuzumab 600 mg/5mL, Docetaxel 40 mg/mL, and Paclitaxel 6 mg/mL.
Some P1 billion will also be appropriated to the Cancer Assistance Fund (CAF) — an increase of almost half a billion pesos from this year’s allocation — to subsidize the continuous medical aid for 6,666 cancer patients registered across 31 cancer access sites nationwide.
The CAF will partially finance outpatient and inpatient cancer control services. These include therapeutic procedures and other cancer medicines needed for the treatment and management of cancer and its care-related components, among others.
The CAF aims to fill the financial gap in cancer diagnostics and laboratories, which PhilHealth does not cover.
On average, Filipino families spend approximately P150,000 per patient for these treatments.
Meanwhile, the remaining P682.709 million of the P1.7 billion allocated under the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases initiative will cater to mental health patients numbering 124,246, Pangandaman said.
The amount will fund mental health medications, including Sodium Valproate 250 mg, Paliperidone Palmitate 100 mg, and Haloperidol 5 mg/mL for patients on 362 mental health access sites nationwide.
Earlier, senators expressed confidence that the Department of Health’s budget will be increased after the proposed P10-billion reduction in the agency’s funding passes through Congress.
“Legislators historically augment the program for MAIP or medical assistance for indigents,” Sen. Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said.
During the deliberations on the DOH budget, Sen. Francis Tolentino said they will ask for the specific reasons for the reductions.
Tolentino said the country’s four specialty hospitals — the Lung, Kidney, Heart, and Children’s Centers — deserve more resources considering that they treat non-communicable chronic diseases that are long-lasting such as pulmonary fibrosis and other cardiovascular ailments.
Sen. JV Ejercito added: “We can make sacrifices elsewhere but we cannot compromise the budget for health programs, especially for the
implementation of Universal Healthcare Law, which would benefit all Filipinos.”
Sen. Bong Revilla said the proposed DOH budget seems insufficient as it will be smaller compared to the 2023 budget.
He said the DOH’s current budget is not even enough for the hospitals. “We need to address the sector’s needs better,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said wasted allocation will be unacceptable considering the proposed cut. He said there
should be no wastage and leakages when it comes to the purchase of vaccines, medicines, vitamins, and other supplies.
“We should not cut the budget for the basic services. But in calculating the amounts needed for the basic services, we should also
not allow the bloating of these amounts,” he said.
For her part, Sen. Grace Poe said the budget of the four specialty hospitals is “wanting” and should be boosted to provide service to
more Filipinos, especially the poor.
“A cut is not the way to go to have a healthy citizenry,” she said.
She assured the public they will examine carefully the DOH budget when it reaches the Senate.