By Teofilo Garcia, Jr./PNA
ZAMBOANGA CITY — A local coast guard official on Monday expressed support for House Bill 6090 that seeks to construct a medical facility for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
HB 6090, authored by Malabon City Rep. Federico Sandoval II, seeks the establishment of the Philippine Coast Guard General Hospital for PCG personnel and their dependents to “uplift the moral and welfare of its personnel and utilize the full potential of the PCG medical corps.”
Lt. Commander Noriel Ramos, Zamboanga Coast Guard Station commander, noted that the privileges that PCG enjoyed from the Armed Forces of the Philippines have stopped–including medical benefits–after they were separated from the Philippine Navy and placed under the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“At present, the PCG has its Coast Guard Medical Service, a medical dispensary responsible for providing administrative medical requirements of its personnel and operational medical services during calamities and maritime incidents,” Ramos said.
Ramos said the creation of the PCG General Hospital, once realized, is to provide comprehensive and total health care services to all PCG personnel and employees, their dependents and the retired PCG personnel.
He said it also seeks to complement the existing package of services under the health care program so as to include preventive, promotive, diagnostic, curative and rehabilitative programs.
Ramos said that having their own hospital to cater their men who need medical attention would be easier and accessible as well to all PCG personnel.
