A public hospital in Pampanga is set to be the first medical institution to have a wing that will be dedicated to cater the needs of land-based and sea-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
ACTS-OFW partylist Representative Aniceto Bertiz III announced on Monday that Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital (JBLMRH) will soon open its doors to OFWs who are in need of medical treatment or will undergo pre-employment medical examination.
“OFW was able to secure funding for the creation or implementation of OFW wards and lanes at government hospitals, which will serve our OFWs and their families,” Bertiz said in a Facebook post.
Bertiz said JBLRMH assured that OFWs in catastrophic cases will be eligible to receive free services, such as hemodialysis and chemotherapy, as allotted in the Duterte administration’s P578.44 million budget for 2018.
Bertiz said ACTS-OFW, Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration are set to meet on Thursday (September 7) to sign a memorandum of agreement that will formalize the establishment of OFW wards at more regional public hospitals.
Photo credit: Maalab Delos Reyes, Wikipedia
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Creation of special hospiral for OFWs, dependents proposed
A bill has been filed by Senator Joel Villanueva, seeking to create a special hospital for overseas Filipino workers and their dependents.
Under Senate Bill No. 1282, a special hospital that will be known as the Bagong Bayaning Filipino Hospital will be established in the National Capital Region, reported The Standard.
This will serve as the primary medical facility for the hospitalization, confinement, medical treatment and medical care of OFWs and their dependents.
“We want to recognize all the efforts and sacrifices of our modern-day heroes who have worked hard not only to provide a better living for their families, but also for their contribution to the national economy,” Villanueva was quoted as saying.
He reportedly said the personal remittances of our migrant workers have strengthened the account position of the country, enlarging the middle class and spawning micro-enterprises in the provinces.
“In spite of the growing number of migrant workers and the steady stream of remittance flows, social services, especially health care, remain out of reach for them and their dependents,” Villanueva added.
Under the bill, apart from the special hospital that will be under the supervision and control of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, regional hospitals are also mandated to establish an OFW ward which shall each have an initial capacity of at least 50 beds, said the news portal.
“Other than the expansion of skills training and education benefits and on-site services, the government should also expand its medical assistance program for OFWs who are at risk of diseases and dreaded illnesses while on their job abroad,” he reportedly said.
The existing package of services under the Medical Care Program for OFWs and their dependents is only limited to curative medical services, reported The Standard.
The proposed OFW hospital would cover preventive, promotive, diagnostic, curative and rehabilitative programs, the report said.
