LAWMAKERS have considered a proposed measure seeking to institutionalize community-based programs aimed at treating recovering drug dependents, acknowledging that operations of drug rehabilitation centers in the country would be costly.
At a hearing Thursday of the House committee on dangerous drugs, chaired by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez backed the recommendation of Dangerous Drugs Board Secretary Benjamin Reyes, a medical doctor, to establish and maintain outpatient drug treatment and rehabilitation facilities.
“We should institutionalize the comprehensive community-based programs to help our recovering drug dependents where concerned people will monitor their progress,” Romualdez said during the hearing where she sponsored House Bill 345 seeking to establish a drug rehabilitation center to be known as the Palo Drug Rehabilitation.
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Romualdez, wife of House Independent Bloc leader and ex-Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, threw her support for the institutionalization of community-based programs.
This developed as Reyes espoused his position, referring to the data from the 2015 United Nations World Drug Report “that only 0.6 percent to one percent of these individuals who surrender require in-patient care in our treatment and rehabilitation centers.”
“The required medical intervention for the remaining 99 percent may be introduced by outpatient facilities. Given the huge number of surrendering individuals, it is essential that these outpatient facilities be present in the district or provincial levels so they can immediately avail of required medical interventions,” Reyes said.
For his part, Barbers welcomed Reyes’ proposal, which he described “is worthy of Congress’ support.”
“But of course family members and friends’ support as well as the community are crucial to the success of the community-based programs,” Barbers said.
Barbers also urged the national government to fund the community-based programs in line with the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.
During the hearing, Health Assistant Secretary Elmer Punzalan, under the DoH Office for Special Concerns, told the panel upon questioning of Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop that the P3-billion allocation under next year’s P3.35 -trillion General Appropriations Bill 2017 was not enough to address the drug problem.
Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) vice president Francisco Soria Jr. himself said the PhilHealth is craftikng an order giving a recovering drug dependent P10,000 under its detoxification program.
“The PhilHealth Board had just approved the drug detoxification package to the amount of P10,000 per patient. The circular is not yet out, it will be out soon,” Soria told lawmakers.