LUBAO -- Governor Lilia Pineda on Wednesday lauded and thanked the Department of Health (DOH) for its surgical caravan program where indigent residents and patients were accorded free minor and major surgeries at the Escolastica Romero District Hospital (ERDH) in Barangay San Nicolas 1 here.
Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial, along with Governor Lilia Pineda and Pampanga Second District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, led the launching of the caravan.
Governor Pineda said the province of Pampanga spends close to P100- million every year for medical assistance such as hemodialysis, chemotherapy and various surgical procedures.
“Nade-drain ang mga tao sa laki ng gastos para sa dialysis, chemotherapy na pwede sanang maagapan kung mayroong libreng pagpapagamot katulad nitong Surgical caravan. Minsan ang isang maliit na bukol nagiging cancer dahil hindi naagapan,” Governor Pineda said.
Ngayon, maiiwasan na ito sa tulong ng DOH at ng surgical caravan program,” she added.
Ubial said that the DOH surgical caravan offers operations, ranging from minor to major cases, at no cost to indigent patients in need of surgical procedures.
Some P3-billion was allocated through the General Appropriations Acts of 2017 for the program dubbed as “ToDOH Alaga, May TSeKaP na, May Operasyon Pa.”
“This initiative is an offshoot of the Philippine Health Agenda (PHA)-Checkup program particularly aimed at realizing the provision of surgical intervention to those who need them, which was among the early commitments of the Duterte administration,” Ubial said during the press conference held at the P25-million DOH building erected inside the ERDH compound.
Under the program, DOH regional offices and hospitals, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth), and local government units collaborate for fund/resource sharing, identification and clearance beneficiaries, and implementation arrangements.
Philhealth shoulders expenses that are covered by the firm’s existing case rates while the DOH pays for the remaining balance in the patients’ bills.
Other laboratory and diagnostic procedures, drugs, medicines, supplies, and professional fees incurred before and after the operation may also be covered by the DOH Medical Assistance Program funds.
Ubial said medicines such as antibiotics and pain relievers are assured to be available in government medical institutions to eliminate the need of patients to buy medicines from private drug stores. (VoxPop Pampanga)