Senator Francis Tolentino has proposed the conversion of the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City into a specialty hospital for educators to provide them free hospitalization and medical care.
Tolentino, who introduced Senate Bill No. 210 or the National Teachers Medical Center Act, said the establishment of a specialty hospital for teachers and their dependents would lessen the financial burden of the educators when they seek medical attention.
“It shall be the primary medical facility for the hospitalization and medical care of teachers and their dependents.”
“The East Avenue Medical Center shall be converted into the National Teachers Medical Center (NTMC). It shall be the primary medical facility for the hospitalization and medical care of teachers and their dependents,” according to the legislator.
The lawmaker said regional hospitals outside the National Capital Region (NCR) shall also be required to put up special wards with an initial capacity of at least 50 beds to address the medical needs of educators within the area.
“Teachers are prone to work-related ailments such as pharyngitis, hypertension, anemia, hyperacidity and stress.”
The senator said teachers are prone to work-related ailments such as pharyngitis, hypertension, anemia, hyperacidity, stress, among others due to the heavy demand of their work.
He said teachers perform multiple tasks inside and outside the classrooms, guiding and teaching students good manners and right conduct. Every night, Tolentino said, teachers have to prepare their lesson plans despite a tiring day. Teachers are also required to perform election-related duties or data gathering activities for the Philippine Statistics Authority and other related agencies.
“It is high time to recognize the contributions of teachers to the nation and assure them that their well-being is the primordial concern of the government,” he said.
Tolentino said the bill covers all public school teachers including guidance councilors, school administrative support employees, physicians, dentists and nurses employed by the public schools as well as officials and employees of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Retired teachers and other public school employees who have rendered a minimum of 10 years of continuous service prior to their retirement shall also be entitled to free hospitalization and medical care under the bill.