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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House panels approve creation of hospital for OFWs and dependents

House panels approve creation of hospital for OFWs and dependents

Published Dec 24, 2021 01:30 pm

Three House of Representatives committees have recommended the passage of a bill that would establish a hospital that will exclusively cater to the medical care and needs of overseas Filipino workers and their dependents.

Repatriated overseas Filipino workers

House Bill 10629 or the proposed OFW Hospital Act has been approved by the House Committees on Health, on Appropriations and on Ways and Means.

The House leadership has set the plenary deliberations on the bill when regular session resumes next month.

HB 10629 is a consolidation of eight separate legislative proposals filed by Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo are among the principal authors of the measure.

Rodriguez said the bill proposes to provide comprehensive and total health care services to all migrant workers and their legal dependents.

Under the bill the hospital will offer a tertiary level of care to OFWs and their dependents. It will be under the full administrative and technical supervision of the Department of Health.

It mandates the Secretary of Labor and Employment, being the chairperson of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the responsibility to ensure that existing health benefits and medical assistance programs for OFWs are strengthened.

The bill provides exemption from donor’s tax, value-added tax and customs duty for imported equipment, machinery and spare parts.

Government shall appropriate necessary funding for the operation of the hospital.

“Based on statistics, about 42 percent of all repatriated OFWs returned to the Philippines needing medical attention or hospital confinement for various physical or mental illnesses sustained abroad,” explained Rodriguez, The House official said the bill will address this problem even as it will also extend the benefits of the hospital to family members of OFWs.

Related Tags

Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez OWWA Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo ofw hospital
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