Thursday, September 20, 2007
Bill - Hon. Eleonor May F. Bartolata
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIABETES CARE CENTERS IN EVERY REGION NATIONWIDE, APPRORIATING FUNDS THEREFORE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Introduced by Eleonor May F. Bartolata
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Four point one (4.1%) of Filipinos have diabetes mellitus. At the current estimate of the population, this means 2.5 million Filipinos with diabetes, with perhaps an equal number which remain undiagnosed.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, and of insulin itself. This lead to elevations of the blood sugar, and the appearance of sugar in the urine. When uncontrolled over the long run, diabetes can produce devastating complications. Diabetes mellitus can lead to blindness, kidney failure and gangrene of the extremities. People with diabetes are more prone to develop high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
It is said that one is not born with diabetes mellitus. However, one is born with predisposition to develop it. A predisposed individual is one who may have close relatives who are diabetics or who has a cell type which renders him very susceptible to these triggering factors. Many predisposed individuals may ward off the appearance of the disease.
As in all types of diabetes, the cause of diabetes is multi-factorial and the possibility of cure is high when detected early. Hence, public awareness and education is vital in the fight against diabetes. Information is our primary weapon and it is on this that we must focus our efforts.
Diabetes is so complex and so demanding that proper education becomes an important and integral part of diabetes treatment. All diabetes patients must learn the proper diet, correct exercise, continuous medications, proper care of and feet, correct usage of blood tests, daily record keeping the teeth
There is clearly an urgent need for proper diabetes education.
This bill seeks to establish breast care centers in every region nationwide to spearhead a sustained information campaign to raise the public's level of awareness on diabetes, take the lead in providing affordable services in the fight and cure of the disease, and coordinate with the Department of Education to ensure that the ills, causes and symptoms of the disease are regularly discussed as part of the high school curriculum.
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
DIABETES CARE CENTERS IN EVERY REGION NATIONWIDE,
APPRORIATING FUNDS THEREFORE AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled:
SECTION 1. Establishment of Diabetes Care Centers. A diabetes care center, known in this Act as "Center," shall be established in every region of the country to spearhead the fight against diabetes. It shall be a new department of existing regional hospitals of the National Government. Should there be no regional hospital in a region; the Center shall be attached to any district hospital in the region which is most accessible to the highest number of constituents.
SECTION 2. Equipment and personnel. The Centers shall be provided with such equipment, tools, implements, devices, apparatus and personnel as may be necessary for them to carry out multiple programs such as Medications that decrease the absorption of carbohydrates from the intestine, Meglitinides – repaglinide (Prandin), Meglitinides–repaglinide(Prandn), Medications that increase the insulin output by the pancreas – sulfonylureas and meglitinides, Combination medications, Blood sugar monitoring and Diabetes Awareness and Information.
SECTION 3. Functions. The Centers shall, in coordination with local government units, local health offices, the Philippine Information Agency and other government agencies, shall spearhead a sustained and extensive information and awareness campaign within their respective region to raise the level of awareness of the region's constituents especially the women sector on the ills, causes and symptoms of diabetes for its early detection and prevention. It shall coordinate with regional and local education officials to ensure that high school students in both public and private schools are taught the pertinent information about diabetes and are trained to habitually examine themselves as a part of the regular secondary curriculum.
SECTION 4. lmplementing Rules and Regulations. The Secretary of the Department of Health shall issue such guidelines, orders or rules and regulations as may be necessary for the establishment of a Center in every regional hospital of the national government or in a district hospital to be designated by the Secretary of Health for being the most accessible to the highest number of constituents in a region where there is no existing regional hospital; for the acquisition of the necessary equipment, tools, implements, devices and apparatus, the hiring of personnel and fix reasonable fees for the services of the Centers and to carry out the provisions and purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5.Operationalization and Appropriations. To fully implement the provisions of this Act, the Secretary of the Department of Health shall immediately include in the Department's program the operationalization of the Centers, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
SECTION 6.All laws, executive orders, rules and regulations or any part thereof inconsistent herewith are deemed repealed, modified or amended accordingly.
SECTION 7.Separability Clause. In case any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall continue in full force and effect.
SECTION 8.Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.Labels: health
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