OFW hospital expands services to include cancer, kidney diseases
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte highlighted the improvements, stating, 'The OFW Hospital, which served over 86,000 migrant workers and their families in 2024, has significantly enhanced its capabilities by establishing treatment centers for those suffering from cancer or kidney disease.'
Villafuerte, who played a key role in advancing the House bill allowing the hospital to hire both local and international medical specialists, emphasized the need for legislative support.
He urged senators to pass a counterpart bill to House Bill No. 8325 before the end of the 19th Congress.
This bill would enable the Department of Health (DOH) to assign specialists such as cardiologists, pulmonologists, and nephrologists to serve OFWs and their dependents at the hospital.
House Bill 8325, which passed in May 2023, would allow the DOH to recruit various specialists to provide care at the OFWH, located in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Additionally, the bill empowers the hospital to invite foreign experts in fields that are not available locally, to conduct clinics and treat patients.
It also authorizes the hospital to send its staff for advanced medical training and to attend both local and international medical conferences, subject to DMW's approval.
In addition to these services, the OFWH introduced Pre-Employment Medical Examinations for prospective OFWs and a Medical Assistance and Medical Repatriation Program for returning workers.
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