The House Committee on Health approved Wednesday a bill aiming to give free annual medical checkups for Filipinos.
Anakalusugan party-list Representative Mike Defensor authored House Bill 4093, or the proposed Free Annual Medical Checkup Act.
“The recently-passed Universal Health Care Law highlights the importance of primary healthcare in promoting the health and wellness of the Filipino people,” Defensor said in sponsoring the measure.
“One of the aspects of primary healthcare is preventive care under which medical checkups fall and includes physical examinations and diagnostic tests,” he added.
The bill initially proposed a free annual medical checkup, which included urinalysis, diagnostic and laboratory tests for complete blood count, comprehensive physical exam, stool analysis, and chest x-ray.
But after the technical working group deliberated, it was decided to limit the tests to total cholesterol level and blood sugar. Still, it is also possible that it would be expanded depending on Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s capability, Defensor said.
“We look at the expense of these two tests per person to be covered to be less than P500, which can be expanded depending on the capability of the agency in the future,” he said.
The solon said monitoring these key indicators “would significantly reduce mortality and other allied medical expenses.”
“In the long run, our small initial investment in giving free annual testing for blood sugar and cholesterol levels would mean less expenses for the government in the future,” Defensor said.
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Man arrested for faking travel permit, health certificate in Davao
A computer technician was arrested after he was found to have forged travel authorities and health certificates in Davao City, Monday afternoon.
Authorities raided the computer shop of the 27-year-old suspect during the entrapment operation.
The suspect sold a fake document to a police officer who posed as a buyer in exchange for P500.
Police confiscated computers, laminators, and scanners that would serve as evidence.
Authorities are now searching for the suspect’s former clients.
The authorities are still monitoring some establishments after receiving reports that they are also falsifying the same documents.