A LAWMAKER called on the public and his fellow members of the House of Representatives to support his bill aiming to provide full support to children with critical and life-threatening illnesses.
Cong. Nathan “Atty. Nat” Oducado of 1Tahanan Partylist filed House Bill No. 8791 to ensure that children with critical illnesses receive full and sustained government support for their treatment and care.
Oducado said, “Children with critical illnesses are fighting for their lives, and their families shouldn’t have to fight the system for help.” “Families of children battling life-threatening diseases often sell what little they have, travel far from home, and endure emotional and financial strain just to keep their child alive.”
HB 8791, entitled “Children’s Critical Illness Support Act,” establishes a comprehensive program that provides full medical subsidies in government hospitals, expanded PhilHealth coverage, access to essential medicines and treatment, financial help for care in private facilities when needed, transport and accommodation aid, and psychosocial support for families.
“Right now, parents go from office to office, hospital to hospital, and charity to charity just to piece together the money needed for treatment, and many children suffer or die because help comes too late,” Oducado added. “Our Bill seeks to simplify and ease the burden of these struggling children and their families, ensuring full support in those difficult times.”
The bill also orders the Department of Health to create a national registry for children with critical illnesses, sets clear priority rules for indigent and low-income families, and requires coordination among DOH, PhilHealth, DSWD, PCSO, and local governments to avoid duplication and delays.
“Our government should be a safety net for the most vulnerable, and no child should be denied life-saving treatment simply because their family is poor,” Oducado said.
