The Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-list said it is looking into the possibility of legislating the establishment of a national hospital dedicated to Philippine athletes and specializing in sports and rehabilitation medicine.
“With our recent string of successes in the global sports arena, napapanahon na rin siguro na magkaroon tayo ng ospital na tututok sa ating mga atleta to make sure they remain in tip-top shape, or if something happens, ensure that they recover as quickly as possible,” said PBA Party-list spokesperson Atty. Migs Nograles.
This as President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday signed an executive order (EO) to fast-track the construction of a hospital dedicated to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The newly signed EO paves the way for the bidding of medical equipment for the first OFW hospital currently being erected in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
“We want to maximize our athlete’s capabilities and performance and the best way to do this is a science-based approach to training and rehab, supervised by the country’s foremost sports medicine experts.”
Nograles said that it is “somewhat ironic” that sports medicine is not as developed in the country as it should be considering the affinity of Filipinos for sports.
“Of course, there are sports medicine centers and institutes in some of the big-name tertiary hospitals in the metro, but seeking treatment there would mean our athletes shelling out precious monetary resources. As it is, the allowances they receive are barely enough to cover their expenses,” she said.
“We envision the hospital to be a one-stop-shop for all sports-related concerns, from kinesiology for training and exercise, to injury prevention, to physiotherapy and rehabilitation, much like an expansion of the Sports Medicine Service of the Philippine General Hospital’s Department of Orthopedics. It could also include traditional and alternative medicine used by athletes like acupuncture,” she added.
“Of course, there are sports medicine centers and institutes in some of the big-name tertiary hospitals in the metro, but seeking treatment there would mean our athletes shelling out precious monetary resources.”
Duterte on Tuesday signed EO 154 directing the establishment of the OFW Hospital. The EO also creates an inter-agency committee focusing on the establishment of the hospital, to be co-chaired by the secretaries of labor and health.
“The OFW Hospital aims to offer free hospitalization, medical certificates, laboratory exams, and other necessities for our migrant workers. We want to do the same for our national athletes,” Nograles said.
“We want to maximize our athlete’s capabilities and performance and the best way to do this is a science-based approach to training and rehab, supervised by the country’s foremost sports medicine experts. A referral system will be created through the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee and the national sports associations,” the Davaoeña lawyer further said.
