Quezon 4th district Rep. Angelina “Helen” Tan has revealed the signing of a law establishing the Southern Luzon Multi-Specialty Medical Center, which she said would help decongest hospitals in Metro Manila amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

(From left to right) President Rodrigo Duterte, Quezon Rep. Helen Tan,and Senator Bong Go)

President Duterte signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11702, which paved the way for the creation of a specialty hospital that will cater to the medical needs of people from Southern Luzon.

“The construction of the hospital is a big help because patients from the Southern Tagalog will no longer go to Manila for treatment and immediate medical attention,” Tan, a doctor, said in a statement Tuesday, April 19. She is the principal author of the law.

The measure seeks to help patients from Southern Luzon who need medical assistance from Metro Manila’s so-called specialty hospitals. These include the Philippine Heart Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, and Lung Center of the Philippines.

“There shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers,” said Tan, who is vying for Quezon's gubernatorial seat in the polls next month.

She said patients from Bicol, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Rizal, Romblon, and Lucena will benefit from the establishment of the Southern Luzon Multi-Specialty Medical Center.

The medical center will be located in Tayabas, Quezon. The congresswoman said it shall be designated as one of the apex hospital of the Southern Luzon regions.

The law allocates an initial P100 million for the establishment of the specialty hospital, which shall be under the control and supervision of the Department of Health (DOH) once completed.

It says the DOH chief shall immediately include in the department’s program the implementation of the proposal while the funding of the hospital shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

#Southern Luzon

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