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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Pimentel urges Congress to hasten creation of specialty hospital for senior citizens

Pimentel urges Congress to hasten creation of specialty hospital for senior citizens

Published Mar 5, 2023 05:04 am
Congress should prioritize and expedite the passage of the bill establishing the Philippine Geriatric Medical Center, so that the almost 10 million senior citizens in the country can have better access to health care and disease management.   Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III made the call as he pitched for the passage of Senate Bill No. 979 or the proposed  Senior Citizens’ Hospital Act, one o the eight (8) pending bills at the Senate that seeks to establish and institutionalize geriatric health care and research.    Geriatrics is a branch of medicine that focuses on prevention and treatment of diseases or disabilities that are common among the elderly.    “These pending bills only show that a lot of our colleagues also give urgency to the matter. That’s why we are appealing that we should prioritize this today,” Pimentel said in a statement on Sunday, March 5.   “Just as there are specialty hospitals for pediatric and obstetric, we believe that the elderly should also have preferential care and assistance from the government,” the senator added.   Pimentel, who has always advocated for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, noted that people aged 60 years and above make up 8.5 percent of the total household population or 9.22 million, based on a 2020 report by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).    “Given this trajectory, the Philippines will be an aging society by 2030. This gives us all the more reasons to create and maintain purpose-built facilities that will address their needs, especially those who don’t have a support system or financial capability,” the senator said.   Once Senate Bill 979 pushes into law, Pimentel said there will be a 200-bed Philippine Geriatric Medical Center built in Northern Mindanao and will be governed by seven (7) members of the Board of Trustees who will be appointed by the President.    Among the responsibilities of the Board would be to develop programs that seek to enhance the healthcare services for older persons, facilitate trainings of geriatricians, doctors and nurses for them to gain at par knowledge in the field, and enter into agreements with other hospitals or institutions to further advance its objective.   “We laud all the past measures we were able to implement for the senior citizens including medicine and transportation discounts, but I believe that this law will help our elderly live a better, more comfortable life,” said Pimentel.       
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