House panel supports bill creating health centers for seniors
A measure seeking to establish national health centers for the senior citizens got support from the House Committee on Ways and Means.
The bill’s author, Deputy Speaker and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. thnaked his colleagues for the support and initial approval of the bill.
The measure aims to provide care for the senior citizens- something that is long overdue given the growing number of the elderly in the country
“A year ago when COVID-19 hit our nation, I pointed out that the vulnerability of our senior citizens to this virus serves to highlight the need for a long overdue national health center that specializes in the care of senior citizens,” Abante said.
“Such a facility is needed now, more than ever, to ensure that elderly Filipinos can receive the specialized treatment needed to help them survive not just COVID-19 but a host of other illnesses and diseases,” he added.
The solon pointed out that as overall healthcare improves, “more and more of our people will live longer lives, and with the growing number of senior citizens comes the need the address their specific medical needs.”
To date, 8.2 million of the country’s 109 million people are aged 60 and above, with five percent of Filipinos 65 and older.
Projections made by the Commission of Population and Development indicate that the number of men and women aged 65 above is steadily growing and that by 2030 an estimated 7% of a projected 126 million Filipinos — or close to nine million citizens — will belong to this age group.
House Bill 3939 is one of the bills seeking to convert the National Center for Geriatric Health (NCGH) into the National Geriatric Health and Research Institute (NCGHRI) and finally establish a fully-operational hospital that will cater to health services specifically for seniors.
