Legarda Hails Senate Approval of P1.16-B Supplemental Budget for Dengue Patients

Senator Loren Legarda hailed the Senate’s approval of the proposed Php1.16 Billion supplemental budget to fund medical assistance programs for dengue patients. The measure was passed on third and final reading with 18 affirmative votes.

“This measure will provide medical assistance for hospitalization and out-patient care services to all dengue patients, including those who received the Dengvaxia vaccine,” said Legarda, sponsor of the bill and Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance.

“Through this, we hope to, somehow, allay fears of the almost 900,000 individuals who were administered with the Dengvaxia vaccine. The Senate version, in fact, widened the scope of the medical assistance program, in terms of beneficiaries as well as covered areas,” she stressed.

The Department of Health (DOH) will issue the guidelines for the availment of the medical assistance program.

The funding, which will come from the amount refunded to the Philippine Government by Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur, through its local distributor Zuellig Pharma, is valid until December 31, 2019.

Meanwhile, Legarda emphasized that she will oversee the utilization of funds to ensure that the medical assistance needed by dengue patients is properly given.

“The health of our people deserves to be on top of government priorities. We need to ensure that dengue patients are helped, processing is fast, monitoring is accurate and, hopefully, prevent further deaths and illnesses of those administered with the vaccine,” Legarda concluded.