Go pushes bill establishing medical reserve corps
Published May 24, 2020 12:00 am
By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Christopher Go on Sunday pushed for the passage of a bill seeking to create a group of medical and health professionals who will be assigned to help government respond to healthcare needs during national emergencies.
Sen. Bong Go
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) Go, in filing Senate Bill No. 1451, also known as the “Medical Reserve Corps Act of 2020,” said passage of the bill will help the government address the increasing COVID-19 cases in the country which “overwhelmed both private and public hospitals in the country.” The measure primarily seeks to establish a Medical Reserve Corps composed of all persons who have degrees in the field of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other health-related fields but have yet to have their respective licenses to practice for reasons such as, but not limited to, not having taken and/or passed the licensure examinations in their respective professions. If passed into law, Go, chair of the Senate committee on health and demography, said the state may call members of the Medical Reserve Corps to assist the national government and local government units (LGUs) in addressing a large-scale public health emergency situation. The measure will also complement the “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program” of the government as the proposed Medical Reserve Corps will be designed to become responsive to the needs of all Filipinos, wherever they may be. “This measure seeks to help local government units (LGUs) all over the country in need of assistance,” Go said. “That is why, the bill proposes for the creation of mobilization centers in each province and city as many as needed based on the number and geographical distribution of the Corps, where they will report in case of deployment,” he said. Under the bill, the President will have the authority to mobilize the Medical Corps to respond to national or local contingencies related to external and territorial defense, internal security and peace and order and/or disaster risk reduction management. In case of a declaration of a state of war, state of lawless violence or state of calamity, Go said the DOH may also recommend to the President the mobilization of the Corps. The DOH will also be tasked to regularly publish an annual report containing a list of its accomplishments, status of its operations, number and demography, assessment of readiness for mobilization and the incidence and details of each mobilization for the year concerned. The measure also seeks the establishment of a Medical Reserve Corps Fund which will be used exclusively for the implementation of the objectives and purposes of the bill. Under the bill, the Office of the President will be tasked to monitor and evaluate the activities and the balances of the Fund. “Sa mga large-scale health emergencies gaya ng COVID-19, malaking bagay po na magtulungan ang military at health sector upang mas maging epektibo ang ating efforts para makapagserbisyo sa ating mga kababayan (In large-scale health emergency cases like COVID-19, it would be good for the military and the health sector to unite and help each other in order to ensure our efforts are effective),” he said. “Bibigyan din po nito ng oportunidad ang mga Pilipino, lalo na ang ating mga healthcare professionals, na magserbisyo sa kanilang kapwa Pilipino at makapagsilbi sa kanilang bayan, (This will also give Filipinos, especially our healthcare professionals, an opportunity to serve their fellow Filipinos and help their nation), ” he stressed. 
Sen. Bong Go(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) Go, in filing Senate Bill No. 1451, also known as the “Medical Reserve Corps Act of 2020,” said passage of the bill will help the government address the increasing COVID-19 cases in the country which “overwhelmed both private and public hospitals in the country.” The measure primarily seeks to establish a Medical Reserve Corps composed of all persons who have degrees in the field of medicine, nursing, medical technology, and other health-related fields but have yet to have their respective licenses to practice for reasons such as, but not limited to, not having taken and/or passed the licensure examinations in their respective professions. If passed into law, Go, chair of the Senate committee on health and demography, said the state may call members of the Medical Reserve Corps to assist the national government and local government units (LGUs) in addressing a large-scale public health emergency situation. The measure will also complement the “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) Program” of the government as the proposed Medical Reserve Corps will be designed to become responsive to the needs of all Filipinos, wherever they may be. “This measure seeks to help local government units (LGUs) all over the country in need of assistance,” Go said. “That is why, the bill proposes for the creation of mobilization centers in each province and city as many as needed based on the number and geographical distribution of the Corps, where they will report in case of deployment,” he said. Under the bill, the President will have the authority to mobilize the Medical Corps to respond to national or local contingencies related to external and territorial defense, internal security and peace and order and/or disaster risk reduction management. In case of a declaration of a state of war, state of lawless violence or state of calamity, Go said the DOH may also recommend to the President the mobilization of the Corps. The DOH will also be tasked to regularly publish an annual report containing a list of its accomplishments, status of its operations, number and demography, assessment of readiness for mobilization and the incidence and details of each mobilization for the year concerned. The measure also seeks the establishment of a Medical Reserve Corps Fund which will be used exclusively for the implementation of the objectives and purposes of the bill. Under the bill, the Office of the President will be tasked to monitor and evaluate the activities and the balances of the Fund. “Sa mga large-scale health emergencies gaya ng COVID-19, malaking bagay po na magtulungan ang military at health sector upang mas maging epektibo ang ating efforts para makapagserbisyo sa ating mga kababayan (In large-scale health emergency cases like COVID-19, it would be good for the military and the health sector to unite and help each other in order to ensure our efforts are effective),” he said. “Bibigyan din po nito ng oportunidad ang mga Pilipino, lalo na ang ating mga healthcare professionals, na magserbisyo sa kanilang kapwa Pilipino at makapagsilbi sa kanilang bayan, (This will also give Filipinos, especially our healthcare professionals, an opportunity to serve their fellow Filipinos and help their nation), ” he stressed.