Senate greenlights Regional Specialty Centers Act

The centers will provide specialized medical care, such as cancer treatment, heart care, and kidney care, to Filipinos who live in far-flung areas

The Senate on Monday passed on third and final reading the Regional Specialty Centers Act as 24 senators agreed to pass the measure, which is one of the priority measures in the Common Legislative Agenda of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

Senate Bill 2212, sponsored by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and authored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, seeks to establish regional specialty centers in all regions of the country.

“These regional specialty centers are a way for us to bring medical services closer to our countrymen, especially the poor,” Go said.

The centers will provide specialized medical care, such as cancer treatment, heart care, and kidney care, to Filipinos who live in far-flung areas and will also be equipped with the latest medical technology and staffed with highly-trained medical professionals.

In his manifestation, Go said that the passage of the bill is a “major step” in improving the country’s healthcare system, adding that the centers will “make quality healthcare more accessible to Filipinos, especially those who live in rural areas.”

Go also thanked his colleagues in the Senate for their support of the bill. He said that the passage of the bill is a “testament to the commitment of the Senate to improving the lives of Filipinos.”

The bill aims to establish up to 53 specialty centers throughout the country by 2028, in an effort to decentralize the services of specialty centers such as the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, the Philippine Heart Center, the Lung Center of the Philippines, and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute which are all located in Manila.

Zubiri, meantime, stressed that the approval of the measure in the Senate is a “fulfilment” of his promise during last year’s campaign.