DOH-MIMAROPA strengthens health services delivery to poor families through TSeKaP

• Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=7&rid=911367
• Sunday, August 7, 2016

(PNA), SCS/LSJ

MANILA, Aug. 7 (PNA) -- The Department of Health (DOH)– MIMAROPA said it has started to intensify its efforts in bringing health services to the people of the region so that these can really be felt, especially by the poor communities.

DOH-MIMAROPA consists of the island provinces of Mindoro Oriental/Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan.

DOH Regional Director Dr. Eduardo C. Janairo said they started the efforts in the province of Oriental Mindoro last Aug. 4, targeting poor families under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program of the government.

“We are bringing health service directly to the communities. The objective is to provide every CCT member an executive check-up and if diagnosed with a health concern, the DOH will handle all the expenses from medicines to hospitalization until the patient recovers,” Director Janairo said.

Under the CCT or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the beneficiary families are assisted with monthly cash grants by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with the aim of keeping the children of the beneficiaries healthy and in school.

The poor families under the program have been identified through the National Household Targetting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR).

NHTS-PR is currently renamed as “Listahanan or Listahan ng Mahihirap na Pamilya" after a nationwide survey was held in 2015.

Dr. Janairo said they want to make sure that every CCT or 4Ps member will be provided with utmost care that they deserve in line with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s aim to ensure that poor families needing health services will not be deprived and be given priority.

He said that a total of 237 CCTs members in Oriental Mindoro were given physical check-up, random blood sugar and blood testing, urinalysis, sputum exam, eye check-up, complete blood count and malaria smear testing.

“There were 10 members who were diagnosed with cataracts, goiter and with end-stage renal disease… These patients will be closely supervised… They will be given referral to government-hospitals for evaluation and immediate operation will be undertaken when necessary," Director Janairo added.

He assured that all medicines, hospitalization and all essential care will be given free and the poor will not need to pay anything or the "No Balance Billing" (NBB) policy will apply.

It can be recalled that upon assumption to office of DOH Secretary Dr. Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial, she cited that one of the marching orders of President Duterte is that he wants the poor people to be provided with the health services that they need.

Secretary Ubial said the DOH regional offices will be given full support in implementing the said order to ensure that the poor’s health condition needing immediate intervention will be given attention as what the President has directed.

The Health secretary even said that they are trying to explore other means to help the poor and to ensure that what is being done in Davao, wherein the poor going to government hospitals are not spending even in transportation cost because they are transported back and forth for free.

Meanwhile, in the intensified health activities being done by DOH-MIMAROPA, the "Tamang Serbisyo para sa Kalusugun ng Pamilya" (TSeKaP) program is being done in coordination with the local social welfare officers, local chief executives, the Philippine National Police and Barangay Health Workers who are instrumental in transporting families from far-flung areas and bringing them to the designated centers for health evaluation.

In Romblon, orientations for the TSeKaP program were conducted on Aug. 5, 2016 in Barangays Ligaya, Poblacion, Odiongan, Tabing-Dagat and Liwayway.

The said areas will also serve as focus areas for the conduct of health delivery service in the island of Tablas on Monday, Aug. 8.

Marinduque is also set to conduct its medical and health services in the municipality of Sta. Cruz, and Occidental Mindoro in the island of Lubang.

“The program will be done simultaneously and will continue until all the CCT members in the region have been served,” Director Janairo said.