LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The Department of Health (DOH) Surgical Caravan dubbed: “ToDOHalaga, May Tsekap na, May Operasyon pa” intensity health service provision for the poorest of the poor to help alleviate medical woes through DOH.
The Department of Health in partnership with the Provincial Government through the Provincial Health Office, headed by Dr. Anna Maria Theresa de Guzman,launched the DOH surgical caravan on June 30 at the Hotel Consuelo Resort and Chinese Restaurant in Lingayen.
The caravan which aims to offer operations, ranging from minor to major cases for free to indigent constituents in need of surgical procedures is currently underway at the Urdaneta District Hospital (UDH), while Western District Hospital (WDH)will host the caravan on July 10-14 for the first sets of profiled patients cleared to undergo surgical procedures.
Seven hundred seventy beneficiaries from all over Pangasinan were pre-identified and profiled for the surgical caravan during check-ups conducted by the different municipality health units.
OIC Assistant Secretary of Health and DOH Region 1 Director Myrna C. Cabotaje bared that the Caravan, an initiative of the Department of Health is an offshoot of the Philippine Health Agenda (PHA) – Checkup program aimedto deliver provision of medical intervention, in line with PHA guarantee of Service Delivery Networks wherein health care providers are organized to ensure the public of an easy access to high quality services regardless of financial capacity to pay.
Representatives from DOH, host hospitals UDH and WDH, visiting hospital Region 1 Medical Center as well as local government unit officials collaborated for fund/resource sharing, identification and clearance of beneficiaries, and implementation arrangements for the Surgical Caravan during the launching event for the realization of the free surgical procedures.
Asec Cabotaje stressed that all surgical procedures done during the caravan shall be compensable with Philhealth, while laboratory and diagnostic procedures, drugs, medicines, supplies, professional fees may also be covered by DOH and its partner LGUs through the Medical Assistance program, and other funds.
R1MC chief of clinics and point person for the caravan Dr Cesar G.Guico stressed that beneficiaries who are not yet medically cleared to undergo surgical procedures this July will be scheduled for operations until December this year.
By Dexter A. See