Press Release
December 10, 2007

Angara allots budget for a UP school of health sciences in Aurora

Senator Edgardo Angara has allotted budget for the construction of a University of the Philippines School of Health Sciences (UP-SHS) in the province of Aurora.

Fifty million pesos will be allotted to UP Manila for the establishment of the UP-SHS Aurora, while an additional Php100 million will be allotted for the construction of its training hospital.

A replica of UP Manila 's school of health sciences in Palo, Leyte, the school of health sciences in Aurora aims to provide able health professionals for health and community development services in Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Isabela.

According to Senator Angara, "the rural areas are the first to suffer from the lack of health professionals because many of our doctors, nurses and health workers opt to work abroad."

To address this problem, the Senator suggests that the 'innovative curriculum of the UP School of Health Sciences in Palo should be replicated in other rural areas."

"The UP School of Health Sciences boasts of an 85% retention rate, meaning 85% of the students who graduate there stay to serve their communities. Those who have left the country have served their communities for a minimum of 20 years," said Senator Angara.

In the UP SHS, a step-ladder curriculum is implemented, which consists of a sequence of health profession degrees. A student who completes the whole program becomes a midwife, nurse and a doctor. In between completing these degrees, students are required to go on service leaves and apply what they have learned in their communities.

"This curriculum is the first of its kind in Asia. Certain facets of the program have been replicated in other parts of the world," said Senator Angara.

Mandated to replicate the SHS model in other areas in the country, the UP Manila administration targets economically depressed municipalities that are deficient in health manpower resources. It also plans to establish a school of health sciences in Davao.

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