The government aims to establish an additional 179 medical specialty centers before the end of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s term of office with seven centers dedicated to lung care centers through the Regional Specialty Center Act.

“By 2028, we aim to establish an additional 179 specialty centers, seven of which are dedicated as lung care centers,” President Marcos said in his speech during the launching of the country’s first human lung transplant of the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI).

Marcos said the government has already established 131 functional specialty centers nationwide, of which nine are designated lung specialty centers that aim to bring lung care closer to Filipinos, particularly in the rural areas.

To uplift the lives of the Filipino healthcare workers and strengthen their knowledge and skills, the government is continuously conducting trainings for doctors through the “Doctors to the Barrios Program” as “their development is critical to the realization of universal healthcare”.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Health (DOH) are also implementing an expanded nursing education program that aims to address the shortage of nurses while ensuring their future supply.

In his speech during the launching, President Marcos lauded the healthcare workers for their unwavering commitment to the healthcare system, to the Filipino people and the Philippines especially during those trying times when the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nais naming ipaabot ang aming taus-pusong pasasalamat dahil sa inyong katapangan, your gallant acts do not fade with time, then gratitude has no expiry date either,” President Marcos said.

The President was the guest of honor during the launching of the LCP and NKTI lung transplant program in Quezon City on Tuesday where he also led the ribbon cutting ceremony and visited the event’s photo exhibit showcasing LCP’s milestone. PND