Bacolod congressman Greg Gasataya said he was informed by colleagues in the House of Representatives Committee on Health that the Department of Health is supportive of his initiative to establish a Heart and Kidney Specialty Center in the City.
The Committee discussed House Bill No. 2686, that seeks to establish the Bacolod-Negros Heart and Kidney Center, initially filed by Gasataya as HB 7454 during his first term in the 17th Congress, and refiled as HB 2686 in 2019.
He stressed the importance of the proposed center, noting that cardiovascular and renal diseases remain as among the top causes of death in the Philippines.
At least 276 Filipinos die of heart disease daily while more than 28,000 undergo regular dialysis because of kidney problems, Gasataya said.
He said he is elated and thankful for the support of the DOH and the House Committee on Health on his bill.
“This goes hand in hand with the Republic Act that we authored, establishing the Bacolod City General Hospital, and I am hopeful that with the two facilities, there will be more Bacolodnon lives saved from the current financial and geographical constraints of quality healthcare,” he added./MML
