Gov. Edduba commits to free medical care for all yKalingas

Tabuk City, Kalinga - Kalinga Governor James Edduba declared his commitment to providing free medical services for all yKalingas, emphasizing the importance of accessible healthcare even to those who may not have the means to pay for those services.

The governor, in an interview with Station 1 radio, said his LUMIN-AWAAN program has been focusing on improving healthcare, particularly on eliminating balance billing at hospitals to ensure that patients don't have to bear much of the financial burden.

Some medical services that may help in this endeavor include the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) which gives patients of the Kalinga Provincial Hospital free prescribed drugs and medicines for those admitted, free laboratory and imaging, and blood screening service for others.

Edduba likewise mentioned that he is securing financial support from various sources to make this happen.

“So far, we are moving met. For example, diay goal tayo idi nga no balance billing, makasol-solicit tayu met ti pondo tapnu awan kuma ti bayadan dagitoy mapan ospital. And I was able to get help from the speaker (Ferdinand Martin Romualdez) nga 50 million and 36 million ti inpan ko idiay KPH and then tig 3 million kadagitoy district hospitals, and another, I havesolicited from diyay partylist AKO BICOL - ken Congressman Elizaldy Co nga another 50 (million) but this will be for medicines,” he disclosed.

With this, the governor appealed to doctors and medical personnel to work hard and help patients that go to the KPH.

“That is why ipak-pakaasik kadagitoy doctor ta ‘pangaasi tayo man ta mabayadan kayo met’ because what I don’t like is that the money will come from the pocket of the patients because adda garuden dytoy MAIP nga masolsolicitan tayo, isuda ti mangbayaden, i-charge tayo ditoy MAIP,” he shared.

Apart from the MAIP (Medical Assistance to Indigent Patients), programs were also created like the LUMIN-AWA Good Samaritan Program through the Provincial Blood Council led by OPHO in partnership with Red Cross.

There are also services that can be availed from partner medical entities like: Free CT Scan (exclusive reading) at the Almora General Hospital, and other medical services at the Holy Trinity Hospital, and stock medicines can also be availed at the Ambigaton Pharmacy; free wheelchair and assistive devices for PWDs (per request), free OPD, financial assistance through SWAD, and medicine and maintenance assistance through PSWDO.

The governor added that there are ongoing projects to level up the quality of health care in the province, in which some are the continuous improvement of the Kalinga Children's Hospital, construction of a new hospital building in Rizal, and the erection of a district hospital in Tanudan which has already started. The provincial government is likewise preparing to open a Malasakit Center in the provincial hospital, complete with separate rooms and necessary equipment.

LISTEN TO STATION 1 RADIO: CLICK ME

OTHER NEWS 

Santa Marcela Police forbids use of firecrackers, will penalize violators

Follow Guru Press Cordillera  on Facebook for more News and Information