MANILA, Philippines Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo on Sunday urged the Department of Health (DOH) to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan to upgrade the bed capacities of its 23 public residential drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers (DATRCs) nationwide.
Rillo, a House of Representatives committee member on appropriations, said rehab centers were often overcrowded and needed to enforce a waiting list for those seeking admission.
READ: From addiction to recovery: How barangay rehab programs help people overcome drugs
The DOH currently operates 23 rehab centers in 14 regions where a drug dependent may voluntarily seek admission. The lawmaker assured, “We are ready to endorse bigger funding in 2025 to increase the beds of existing DATRCs and to build new centers if necessary.”