PCMC receives additional support under the 2021 GAA to provide even better services for children in need of medical attention -- Angara

In order to provide quality medical care to more children, particularly those from families who cannot afford it, the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC) was provided with more funds under the 2021 General Appropriations Act, Senator Sonny Angara said today.

Cognizant of the special needs of children who require medical attention, Angara has long been supportive of the operation of PCMC, a specialized hospital under the auspices of the Department of Health (DOH)

The budget of the PCMC was augmented by close to P900 million upon the initiative of Angara, primarily for the acquisition of various hospital equipment, the construction of a pediatric rehabilitation center and for assistance to indigent patients.

"The PCMC plays a very important role in providing high quality medical care to Filipino children. We want to ensure that PCMC will be able to continue its mandate and serve even more patients, especially during these very challenging times," Angara said.

With the augmentation of the PCMC's budget for 2021, Angara noted that children suffering from cancer will be able to undergo chemotherapy for free for the entire year.

Angara said the PCMC will also be able to accommodate more children who need to undergo heart surgery.

"Children who require heart surgeries are brought to the specialty hospitals, including the Heart Center. They would typically have to be put on queue because of the sheer number of patients who need to be operated on. The PCMC has the capability of performing these heart surgeries on the children who need it right away and shorten the waiting time for a lot of patients. This could mean life or death for many children," Angara said.

As for the construction of the pediatric rehabilitation center at the PCMC, Angara said this will result in better services for a significant number of children patients suffering from various conditions.

Pediatric rehabilitation is one of the primary services provided by the PCMC and covers a wide range of conditions including neurologic disorders, spinal cord injuries, and musculoskeletal conditions that affect the growth and development of children.

As one of the specialty hospitals managed by the DOH, the PCMC serves a very important function—that of providing high quality medical care for our children.

Apart from providing pediatric care, the 200-bed PCMC also offers training programs for medical and allied health care providers.

As chairman of the Committee on Finance, Angara has consistently supported the operations of government hospitals, be it through the efforts to increase their bed capacity, increasing their manpower or providing them with the equipment they need to improve their services.

Angara is the author of Senate Bill 698, which seeks to authorize the DOH to set and approve the authorized bed capacities and the service capabilities of the hospitals under its supervision.

The bill has been consolidated to Senate Bill 1876 that is up for approval on second reading.