SENATOR Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian hailed the Senate’s third reading approval of the “Regional Specialty Centers Act,” a move that he says would increase Filipinos’ access to affordable and quality specialized healthcare services.

Senate Bill (SB) No. 2212, which Gatchalian co-authored and co-sponsored, seeks the establishment of specialty centers in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals in all regions.

Under the proposed measure, the DOH will coordinate with national specialty centers such as the Philippine Heart Center (PHC), National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), and the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP), among others, to ensure that specialty centers in DOH hospitals have expert personnel and medical specialists provided with the necessary training, and appropriate specialist equipment.

“Sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatayo natin ng specialty centers sa mga DOH hospitals sa lahat ng rehiyon, matitiyak nating abot-kamay ng ating mga kababayan ang specialized healthcare services. Ilalapit natin sa ating mga kababayan sa iba’t-ibang rehiyon ang dekalidad na serbisyong pangkalusugan na akma sa partikular na pangangailangan ng kanilang komunidad,” said Gatchalian.

The measure establishes criteria for the establishment of specialty centers, which include evidence of health needs and demands in the catchment population of the DOH hospital.

The hospital’s service capability, geographic or physical access, availability of competent health human resources, and operational and financial performance will also be considered.

The measure seeks to establish national specialty centers, which shall serve as the core information hub for their respective specializations and the diseases they cover.

The centers will also collaborate with the DOH to provide specialized training and technical assistance to specialty centers in DOH hospitals to ensure the delivery of quality services and strengthen the network of care across the country for a particular specialty.

AUTHOR PROFILE

PS Jun M. Sarmiento