The Employees’ Compensation Commission is collaborating with Lucena United Doctors Hospital and Medical Center in providing rehabilitation services to workers who met work-related sickness or injuries under the Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan (KaGabay) Program.
The ECC and LUDHMC recently signed a memorandum of agreement to provide rehabilitation services in the form of occupational and/or physical therapy sessions to qualified persons with work-related disabilities (PWRDs).
ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis stated that ECC ensures that the facilities of the hospitals tapped by ECC for collaboration are well-equipped to provide the best rehabilitation services for the PWRDs.
“Rehabilitation treatment is essential for the recuperation stage of PWRDs. PWRDs need immediateassistance and proper treatment so that they will be physically independent and become active member of our workforce once again. That is why we have been collaborating with varioushospitals in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” Banawis explained.
As of June 2015, ECC is in partnership with 37 hospitals all over the country. Thru the memorandum of agreement with hospitals nationwide, the assistance and treatment is now accessible to PWRDs without travelling too far
ECC’s KaGabay Program aims to empower PWRDseconomically by providing them with free physical or occupationally therapy, rehabilitation appliances such as prostheses and giving them free entrepreneurial trainings and re-skilling programs.
With all these benefits and services, Banawis however, encourages employers and employees to practice good occupational safety and health by complying with OSH standards to ensure a healthy and safe work environment for employees. On the other hand, employees should also take reasonable care of their own health and safety.
“I would like to emphasize that prevention is better than compensation. The ECC provides benefits for work-related incidents but good practices in OSH provide a better and healthier community,” explained Banawis.
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