DBM: Over P2B allotted to aid cancer patients in the Philippines

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Tuesday about P2 billion has been earmarked under the proposed P5.768-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for cancer treatment and prevention.

In a statement, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the more than P2-billion allocation for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and the Cancer Assistance Fund underscores the Marcos administration’s resolve for the prevention, treatment, and control of non-communicable diseases, such as cancer.

Broken down, P1.024 billion of the amount was set aside for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases for the procurement of 61 different cancer commodities such as Trastuzumab 600 mg/5mL, Docetaxel 40 mg/mL, and Paclitaxel 6 mg/mL and will benefit 18,695 cancer patients.

On the other hand, P1 billion was earmarked for the Cancer Assistance Fund (CAF), which will subsidize the continuous medical aid for 6,666 cancer patients registered across 31 cancer access sites nationwide.

The CAF will partially finance outpatient and inpatient cancer control services, according to Pangandaman, noting that the services include, “but is not limited to therapeutic procedures and other cancer medicines needed for the treatment and management of cancer and its care-related components.”

The Budget chief said CAF “aims to fill the financial gap in cancer diagnostics and laboratories, which PhilHealth does not cover.”

On average, Filipino families spend approximately P150,000 per patient for these treatments.

Moreover, P682.709 million of the P1.7 billion allocated under the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases program will cater to 124,246 mental health patients.

Pangandaman said the amount will fund mental health medications including Sodium Valproate 250 mg, Paliperidone Palmitate 100 mg, and Haloperidol 5 mg/mL for patients on 362 mental health access sites nationwide.—AOL, GMA Integrated News