The universal health care (UHC) bills, bannered by the “Universal Health Care for All Filipinos Act,” or Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1458 filed by Senator JV Ejercito, will become a “People’s Bill.”
This developed as Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, has assured to include in the consolidated version of the bills the valuable inputs of the people and stakeholders gathered during the public hearings of the committee held in various provinces.
Other UHC bills are SBN 60, SBN 1673, SBN 1714, and House Bill No. 5784 all aimed at making every Filipino enjoy the benefits of a universal health care where preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services are guaranteed.
“Lahat ng sinasabi ninyo, lahat po ‘yun iko-consider natin sa final draft ng UHC,” the legislator told the representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), provincial, municipal, and city health officers, PhilHealth, and barangay health workers and concerned citizens who attended the hearing in Lingayen, Pangasinan last March 15.
The health panel had also conducted public hearings in Cebu City, Davao City, and Legaspi City.
“Our final bill will be a product of our constituents’ inputs and reflective of their actual needs. Pipilitin nating maipasa ito at maging ganap na batas para wala nang mamamatay dahil sa kawalan ng pampagamot,” the lawmaker said.
The senator from San Juan noted that because of the high cost of health care services, poor children and senior citizens die even from preventable and curable diseases.
“Patients suffering from debilitating illnesses such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, heart ailments, among others, lose all hope as they accept death as an option to spare their financially-burdened loved ones from undue suffering,” he said.