The Philippines’ first overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) hospital will soon rise in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
The OFW Hospital and Diagnostic Center will provide free medical services to OFWs and their immediate family members. The facility will also provide basic services such as laboratory exams, medical certificates, and other health requirements for those applying for work overseas.
The first government medical facility to exclusively serve OFWs will rise on a two-hectare lot at the Provincial Engineering Office Compound in Barangay Sindalan.
Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in the government media report that the OFW hospital will have an initial 100-bed capacity when it starts operations by 2020.
The hospital construction cost of Php400 million is reported to be shouldered by one of the Philippines’ top billionaires, Enrique Anselmo Klar Razon Jr. of Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels.
Hospital equipment worth Php200 million will be provided by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. The project is supported by the Department of Labor and Employment, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Health, and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
The Luzon-based OFW hospital will serve as the pilot project as similar medical facilities are being planned for Visayas and Mindanao.
The Philippines has been getting worldwide attention for its pioneering hospital projects such as the World Architecture Festival-finalist Compact Hospital Model in Pangasinan and the Healthcare Asia-recognized newborn hearing program in Ilocos Norte.
SEND cheers in the comments below for OFWs and our government agencies for this pioneering medical project!
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