REPRESENTATIVES from the Department of Health (DOH) in Cordillera, along with district hospitals in the region, program coordinators and consultants launch on Wednesday, June 21, the DOH surgical caravan program.
With the theme “To DOH Alaga, May TSekAP na, May Operasyon Pa,” Baguio General Hospital, Benguet General Hospital, Dennis Molintas District Hospital joined the free operation caravan.
According to Doctor Erwin Baclig, chief of the Licensing, Regulation and Enforcement Division of DOH-Cordillera, the surgical caravan aims to realize the provision of surgical intervention to those who need them.
Ninety-one identified patients from the TSekAP (Tamang Serbisyo para sa Kalusugan ng Pamilya) program last September will be qualified for operation starting Wednesday, June 21 to Tuesday, June 27.
According to Doctor Gene Estandian, head of the Department of Surgery and team leader for the surgical caravan, these patients include those suffering from thyroid masses, specifically goiter, gallbladder stones, myoma, ovarian tumors, and including one patient with brain tumor.
Estandian added the Benguet General Hospital, Atok District General, and Dennis Molintas Hospital will clear and ready patients for surgery while his team will do a final clearance of these patients to make sure that all surgeries will be done safely.
He added if an operation cannot be done in the host hospital due to safety issues, the patient will be brought to the Baguio General Hospital, where the operation will be conducted.
Doctor Damaso Bangaoet III, a consultant from the department of surgery, added aside from acting as a visiting hospital, Baguio General Hospital will also act as a host hospital, accommodating patients within the area.
Bangaoet said some cases are already scheduled in Baguio General Hospital.
Starting July 3 to 16, the surgical caravan will begin visiting host hospitals.
The surgical caravan will also search and screen for patients needing cleft palette repair, cataract surgery, goiter surgery, tonsillectomy, hydrocelectomy, cholecystectomy, hemorrhoidectomy, excision of breast mass, of soft tissue masses, circumcision, bilateral tubal ligation, and vasectomy, according to Baclig.
A screening will also be done for patients, who cannot afford surgery to determine if they are qualified for the surgical caravan program with the help of a social worker. If qualified, the patient will be enrolled in PhilHealth (if not already enrolled), then subjected to the surgery caravan.
According to Baguio General Hospital chief, Ricardo Ruñez, expenses from the clearance stage, including laboratory fees, up to the patient’s discharge will be covered by PhilHealth.
PhilHealth representative Doctor Dominga Gacad also said the patients will “not pay a cent,” in line with the no balance billing policy.
Aside from the PhilHealth coverage, a budget of P600,000 will cover equipment costs to the Cordillera surgical caravan.
Estandian said, however, the budget is not enough. Still, Baclig said sponsoring hospitals already have an allocated budget for patients subjected to the surgical caravan.
The doctors reiterated no patient will be turned down. (Jenny Alexis Caburian/UP Baguio intern)