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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider OFW Hospital should house local, foreign medical specialists, says Villafuerte

OFW Hospital should house local, foreign medical specialists, says Villafuerte

Published Jul 14, 2023 04:12 am
Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (Facebook)



Local medical specialists like cardiologists, pulmonologists, neurologists, and even foreign experts should be tapped for the proposed Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital (OFWH) in San Fernando, Pampanga. Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte underscored Friday, July 14 that the language of the OFWH measure provides for this. Villafuerte, a co-author of House Bill (HB) 8325, said the move is also in line with the Marcos administration's commitment to provide comprehensive healthcare to our modern-day heroes--the OFWs--who keep the Philippine economy afloat. "What we do not often see are the emotional and physical stresses that living and working abroad away from their families exact on their physical, emotional and mental,” he noted. “Hence, the need for the government to provide them with quality, accessible and comprehensive healthcare services to  deal with their most common ailments or health problems such as pneumonia, hypertension, cancer, trauma, liver disease and depression," said the Bicolano. Villafuerte also said that the bill authorizes the OFWH to invite to the hospital foreign experts in fields not readily available in the country, and to send its personnel to research or medical institutes for advance healthcare training and to attend international or local conferences and seminars, subject to the Department of Migrant Workers' (DMW) approval. “This proposed OFWH, which will be under the direct supervision of the (DMW), is meant to offer comprehensive health services to OFWs, their legal dependents and OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) contributors and to the general public as well,” Villafuerte said. The proposed hospital is embodied in House Bill (HB) No.8325, which has already been approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives. It tasks the Department of Health (DOH) to sign up medical specialists to treat OFWs and their families at the OFWH, which is considered a Level III hospital.

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Rep. LRay Villafuerte OFW OFW Hospital
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