BAGUIO CITY – Some one hundred fifty six individuals from the different parts of the city recently benefitted from the one-day medical caravan conducted by the city government’s Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) in partnership with the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center’s genetics department.
PDAO head Dr. Samuel G. Aquino said that the medical caravan was intended to assess the situation of Down syndrome or those individuals suffering from rare diseases that will serve as a basis for the issuance of the PWD identification cards for them to avail of privileges and benefits due to PWD.
He claimed that all those who were diagnosed for Down syndrome or rare diseases were already registered as part of the city government’s registry of PWDs which entitles them to a PWD card for them to enjoy the benefits and privileges of being PWD.
He described the first-ever medical caravan for Down syndrome and rare disease as successful considering the number of individuals that sought medical consultations from the lone geneticist in Northern Luzon, Dr. Mary Erica Ortega, who provided them with the necessary advise and diagnosis.
Earlier, the city government, through the PDAO, partnered with the BGHMC genetics department. This collaboration involved assessing and evaluating the conditions of individuals referred by the government, serving as one of the criteria for issuing PWD cards to those diagnosed with Down syndrome or other rare diseases.
Aquino stated that the partnership will allow the city government to immediately refer to the BGHMC genetics department individuals who are suffering from Down syndrome or rare diseases for assessment and evaluation prior to the issuance of the PWD cards.
However, the PDAO official clarified that the assessment and evaluation by the geneticist of the government hospital is free, contrary to what had been earlier alleged by unscrupulous individuals. By Dexter A. See
