(Photo Courtesy: DBM)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – The 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) anchors the prevention, treatment, and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as one of the key indicators of a reliable public health service.
In line with this, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) ensures the provision of considerable allocation that is conducive to the delivery of preventive and curative health services to the most vulnerable population including those suffering from cancer.
“Kapag nakikita ko ang mga pasyente, lalo na ‘yung mga bata… minsan, hindi ko mapigilan umiyak. But I know in my heart that I need to be strong. And I remain strong in finding better ways to give them all the help and support they need,” said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.
A total of P1.024 billion has been earmarked for the Cancer Control Program of the national government. This will be primarily utilized to procure essential cancer commodities such as Trastuzumab 600 mg/5mL, Docetaxel 40 mg/mL, and Paclitaxel 6 mg/mL for 18,695 Filipino cancer patients.
The budget department also allotted P1 billion to subsidize the ongoing treatment of 6,666 cancer patients across the 31 access sites in the country through the Cancer Assistance Fund (CAF).
The CAF will partially fund inpatient and outpatient cancer care such as therapeutic procedures and other medication needed for treatment and management of the disease. It will likewise be used to finance the services of cancer diagnostics and laboratories which are not covered by the insurance premiums under the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
On average, these healthcare services cost P150,000 per patient.
Meanwhile, a sum of P682.709 million has been set aside for the implementation of prevention and control initiatives that will cater to 124,246 mental health patients as one of the priority NCDs.
The said allocation will be invested in the medications of patients that are registered on the 362 mental health access sites across the country. (DBM/PIA-NCR)
