CL hospital first to have OFW wing

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— The Jose B. Lingad Regional Memorial Hospital (JBLRMH) in the City of San Fernando in Pampanga is the first Department of Health (DOH) hospital in the country to have a wing for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In a statement to Sun.Star Pampanga on Tuesday, ACTS OFW Partylist Representative Aniceto “John” Bertiz III said that government agencies and the partylist group are making sure that the country’s public hospitals can step forward to help OFWs, particularly those returning with illnesses, in getting proper

medical care along with their families who are here in the country.

“Regional public hospitals under the Department of Health are setting up OFW wings and procedures for pre-employment medical examination requirements. The first of these hospitals is the Jose B. Lingad Regional Memorial Regional Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga which I recently visited,” Bertiz III said.

“JBLRMH Chief Dr. Monserrat ‘Chie’Chichioco assured me that the services would include hemodialysis and chemotherapy for OFW catastrophic cases free of charge,” he added.

For JBLRMH, a Level III tertiary, teaching and training hospital with 500 authorized beds, the Duterte administration proposed a P578.44 million budget for 2018, according to Bertiz III. “I will defend that budget, as an expression of the gratitude of OFWs and to the hospital and its staff.”

“On September 7, the first of a series of agreements, will be signed to formalize the measures for the OFW wings of the DOH regional hospitals. Collaborating for the welfare of OFWs are the ACTSOFW Partylist, the Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. Representing Pampanga on September 7 is Congresswoman and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” he furthered.

The agreement is scheduled for signing at the Makati Diamond Residences Hotel in Makati City. Details about the agreement will be released during the signing ceremonies.

“According to 2013 United Nations Global Migration statistics, there are 10.23 million overseas Filipinos worldwide. Some ten percent of our population are overseas Filipinos that is why it is just fitting that we take good care of them and their families by having OFW wings in every government hospital nationwide,”concluded Bertiz III.