Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte is pushing for the passage of a measure to establish a medical reserve corps in a bid to beef up front liners amid times of health crisis, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
He filed House Bill No. 7007, which states that all graduates with degrees in medicine, nursing and other related fields who have not yet secured their licenses to practice must be required to join a medical reserve corps.
Under the bill, the medical reserve corps may be called upon and mobilized to assist the national and local governments in their functions related to addressing the urgent needs of the country’s health-care system during times of crises.
The Camarines Sur lawmaker said the lack of medical personnel during the initial stages of the country’s fight against COVID-19has underscored the urgency of establishing a medical reserve corps to ensure that the health-care system is not overwhelmed during emergencies.
“This bill seeks to uphold the role of medical and health-related personnel in nation-building. Being involved in the frontlines of a public health emergency is a patriotic act, and the reserve corp’s vital role necessitates that their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being are protected,” he said.
