According to Maria Rosario Vergeire, undersecretary of the Department of Health, the country needs more medical professionals with the training necessary to identify and treat cancer patients.
"We have coordinated with the Commission on Higher Education so that we can produce more of our health care workers," Vergeire said during the two-day National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA) localization summit for Eastern Visayas.
Uneven distribution
Merely 313 medical oncologists and 106 radiation oncologists are employed nationwide; the most of them are located in major cities such as Metro Manila.
According to Vergeire, oncologists would be encouraged to give their services in rural or outlying locations under Republic Act (RA) 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which establishes nationwide specialty centers.
There are only six medical oncologists in Eastern Visayas, five of them are located in Tacloban City and one in Ormoc City. A hematologist, two pediatric hematologists, an obstetrician-gynecologist, and a colorectal surgeon are among the other cancer specialists in Tacloban.
Cancer dilemma
As of 2023, the Eastern Visayas Medical Center reported that 2,263 cancer patients were in the region; 1,365 of these were from the province of Leyte.
Breast, colon, and lymphoma are the top three cancer types in the area.
The DOH hosted the localization summit of NICCA, or Republic Act 11215, a historic piece of legislation that aims to lower patient burden and increase the rate of cancer survival. Other attendees included the Cancer Warriors, Inc., Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines, and the Cancer Coalition of the Philippines.
