Duterte vows to provide equitable healthcare service as he signs hospital bills

(File) President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. SIMEON CELI JR. / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines —The government is committed to providing the Filipino people “equitable and sustainable service” in healthcare, President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday as he signed into law several health-related bills.

In a signing ceremony attended by some members of Congress at Malacañang, the President signed 16 laws, 13 of which were health-related and sought to increase the bed capacity of hospitals in various parts of the country.

“Thirteen of these laws are health related and are all very crucial in strengthening the capacity of our healthcare system as we continue to overcome the current pandemic,” Duterte said in his speech.

Duterte said the new laws would “make quality medical service more accessible to our peoples especially those in the far flung area.”

“Increasing the bed capacity of existing public hospitals will likewise augment inventory of such needed hospital beds that we badly need as we deal with the pandemic,” he added.

The President likewise assured frontliners addressing the pandemic that the “government cares about their plight.”

The following were laws were signed by the President in the ceremony:

• Increasing the bed capacity of the Naguilian District Hospital
• Increasing the bed capacity of the Rosario District Hospital
• Increasing the bed capacity of the Sinait District Hospital
• Establishing the Bacolod City General Hospital
• Increasing the bed capacity of the Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. Medical Center
• Converting the Medina Extension Hospital into the first Misamis Oriental General Hospital
• Converting the Schistosomiasis Control and Research Hospital into the Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital and Schistosomiasis Center
• Renaming Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center into the Eastern Visayas Medical Center
• Establishing the Davao Occidental General Hospital
• Establishing the Conrado F. Estrella Regional Medical and Trauma Center
• Increasing the bed capacity of the East Avenue Medical Center
• Establishing the Senate President Neptali A. Gonzales General Hospital
• Increasing the bed capacity of the lying-in clinic in Rizal, Palawan
• Converting the Basilan State College into the Basilan State University
• Renewing the franchise of the Baycomms Broadcasting Corporation for another 25 years
• Reapportioning the province of Bataan into three (3) legislative districts

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JPV