Members of the Senate have introduced amendments in the proposed the Fiscal Year 2023 financial package that includes funding for the establishment of a permanent office to manage the National Coordinating Mechanism for non-communicable disease (NCD).
In the floor amendments introduced, the Senate is proposing the amount of $100,000 to be earmarked for the office which will facilitate and manage the NCD fund which will help reduce the impact of NCD in Palau.
The floor amendments also included the earmarking of $115,000 in the budget for the conduct of a comprehensive study on the country’s hemodialysis program.
Earlier a House Bill seeks The House of Delegates is seeking the use one-third of the Non-communicable disease ( NCD) funds to be used to assist hemodialysis patients.
The passage of the NCD fund years ago was aimed at funding activities and actions to prevent and reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
RPPL 9-57 requires 10 percent of alcohol and tobacco taxes to help address NCDs. The money will be channeled into NCD prevention interventions through Palau’s National Coordination Mechanism.
House Bill No. 11-66-7S stated that the “prevalence of NCDs is a significant issue” in Palau and that the country has been focusing on awareness and education of NCDs when the number of hemodialysis patients is increasing.
“The Olbiil Era Kelulau finds that there is an urgent need to help people who require hemodialysis treatments who cannot simply afford the high costs associated with receiving such treatments.”
The Senate floor amendments said the study will also look into the future costs of human resources including technicians necessary to provide hemodialysis in the future.