If the wish of Congressman Hector S. Sanchez will be granted by the legislature, the proposed Caramoran Medical Center will be under the supervision of the Department of Health (DOH).
In House Bill No. 8262 which he introduced to the 18th Congress during its second regular session last December 2020, it will be the Secretary of Health or his duly authorized representative who shall formulate and promulgate the implementing guidelines, rules and regulations necessary to carry out the proposed law once it is approved.
The health secretary shall immediately include in the DOH’s program the operationalization of the 100-bed capacity district hospital, the funding of which shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act, Cong. Sanchez said in his proposed measure.
He explained the need for a district hospital in the Caramoran town proper by citing official statistics that the town is among the three leading municipalities in Catanduanes in terms of population size.
While there are two government hospitals in or near Caramoran catering to the medical needs of the people, both facilities are located 35 kilometers away from the poblacion, the congressman pointed out.
“It is an acknowledged reality that the distance a patient must travel in order to get to the hospital in emergency cases poses potential risks and danger to his life and limb,” he stressed.
Sanchez said the measure seeks to address the people’s need for a decent, adequate and accessible health case in order to stay faithful to the mandate of the State to protect and promote the right to health of the people under the Constitution.
The State is also mandated to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost, he added.
“Additionally, in the light of the pandemic, it would be an opportune time to establish the Caramoran public hospital with dedicated facilities to accommodate infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Cong. Sanchez averred, as this would allow the town to isolate its own citizens instead of sending them to better-equipped hospitals in other municipalities.
“As an elected official, we must meet the needs of our constituents based on the current circumstances,” he explained. “I think it is high time that we address COVID-19 and the need for better healthcare, as we cannot wait for the vaccine.”
Filed on Dec. 15, 2020, the bill has been referred by the House Committee on Rules to the Committee on Health.