QC solon seeks 100% hike in cancer care funding; still no 1 killer disease mb.com.ph - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mb.com.ph Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Published April 7, 2021, 5:09 PM
Health experts have urged the immediate formation of the cancer council to implement a law to protect cancer patients.
“It is very critical that the National Integrated Cancer Control Act Council has to be organized and convened. Based on the law, the council will act as a policy-making, planning and coordinating body on cancer control attached with DOH (Department of Health). If they are not convened, what is there to fund?” Paul Perez, president of the Cancer Coalition of the Philippines, said in a statement.
Republic Act No. 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA) was signed into law in February 2019, but it remains unimplemented, according to Fatima Lorenzo, president of the Philippine Alliance of Patients Organization.
Cancer patients need unified help mb.com.ph - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mb.com.ph Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Teodoro B. Padilla
With more patients in need of help to access treatments, advocates welcome the recent announcement of the Department of Health (DoH) that it would allocate at least a P700-million annual budget to the cancer assistance fund. During the “Cancer Conversations: From Policy to Meaningful Action” webinar held in partnership with the
BusinessWorld, Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implement the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA).
“Historically, the budget trend for the cancer control program has been fluctuating and frankly, insufficient. By having NICCA in place and indicated in the draft Administrative Order on Cancer Assistance Fund, the annual budget for the Cancer Supportive Care and Palliative Care Medicines Access Program will now be at least 700 million pesos. This will allow us to cover more priority cancer types and allow us to give larger numbers of patients in minimizing, if no