Free medical aid for Filipinos with sleep disorders eyed in Senate bill

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos suffering from sleep disorders may receive free medical assistance from the government once a measure establishing sleep disorder awareness and education program is passed into law.

Senate Bill No. 2063 was recently filed by Senator Mark Villar, prompted by the lack of available data on sleep disorders in the country.

According to his bill, sleep disorders refer to conditions that affect sleep quality, timing, or duration, which affect a person’s ability to function well.

“Some of the sleep disorders include insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea. Most sleep disorders can be treated and be prevented, yet, less than one-third of people suffering from the disorders seek professional help,” Villar said in the bill.

These conditions, he said, constitute a “global epidemic that endangers the health and standard of living of up to 45% of the world’s population.”

In the Philippines, however, “most are unaware that sleep disorders exist despite its serious and deleterious effects on one’s health,” the senator pointed out when he filed the bill last month.

“Currently, the Department of Health has no data on sleep disorders in the country,” he said.

Villar then pushed for the passage of the measure that seeks to mandate the Department of Health (DOH) “to craft programs to improve the identification of patients who have sleep disorders, increase awareness of such disorders with the public, and train educators on effective sleep disorder assistance methods and the prevention of this disorder.”

“The DOH may also provide free medical assistance and therapy to those who are suffering from it. This might be a straightforward aid to those who are experiencing it so that they can once more have a restful night’s sleep,” he said.

The DOH is likewise mandated to conduct a study on the impact of sleep disorders on educational advancement and achievement.

The study, the bill said, should determine the prevalence of sleep disorder among the population and the morbidity and mortality rates associated with sleep disorder; report on current national and local programs to educate the public about the dangers of sleep disorder, as well as evaluate the value of such programs; and make recommendations on measures that could be undertaken by the Congress, the Secretary of Education, and the Secretary of Health, to strengthen sleep disorder awareness programs.

Meanwhile, local government units are tasked under the bill to provide policies in promoting sleep disorder awareness programs and ensure that these are implemented.

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