Father’s Day freebie: 64 hospitals to offer free rectal exams for men on June 14

On Saturday, June 14, men aged 40 and up can get a free digital rectal examination (DRE) in 64 hospitals, including 27 run by the Department of Health and 37 private institutions.

The DOH said this is part of its “National PaDRE and Men’s Health Day,” which aims to increase awareness of prostate cancer during the worldwide celebration of Father’s Day.

"DRE is one of the main screening procedures in assessing the prostate. Most Filipinos are still uninformed about prostate cancer and that majority of cases are detected already in advanced stage. Screening among men is needed to detect the disease in its early stage," the DOH said in a statement posted on the Official Gazette website.

"This activity will be conducted at the respective out-patient departments (OPDs) of the different hospitals from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. All urologist members of the PUA will provide free Men’s Health check and DRE in their private clinics on June 14," it added.

Citing its records, the DOH said prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer among males.

It added the 2010 Cancer Facts and Figures showed about 2,712 new cases are diagnosed yearly in the Philippines with an estimated 1,410 deaths.

"The incidence rate starts to increase sharply starting at age 55," it said.

The “National PaDRE” program started in 1996 as a project of the DOH and the Philippine Urological Association (PUA).

Last year, there were 64 DRE centers all over the country with urologists screening more than 1,000 patients in a day.

For this year, all 64 DRE centers will participate in the program with urology residents and staff working to identify and screen patients.

Other activities this year include the distribution of posters, a Facebook poster and slogan contest, press conference, fun run, and technical updates.

Exams

Ona said men who avail of the free DRE but will need additional laboratory exams, such as the prostate specific antigen (PSA), the prostate ultrasound, and biopsies will be given requests for such examinations.

If these examinations are not available in participating hospitals, the patients will be referred to diagnostic laboratories that can conduct the tests at a discount.

"Patients needing further treatment and check–up will be attended to at designated hospital and clinics. Eventual result of the treatment or management will be recorded and reported to the PUA," the DOH said.

Hospitals

The participating hospitals are:

Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Manila
UP-Philippine General Hospital, Manila
Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Quezon City
East Avenue Medical Center, Quezon City
AFP Medical Center, Quezon City
St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City
National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Quezon City
UERM Memorial Medical Center, Quezon City
University of Sto Tomas Hospital, Manila
World City Medical Center, Quezon City

Asian Hospital and Medical Center, Muntinlupa City
Capitol Medical Center, Quezon City
Urology Center of the Philippines Inc., Quezon City
Fortunecare Medical Clinic, Tarlac City
Batangas Regional Hospital, Batangas City
San Pablo Colleges Medical Center, Laguna
Healthserv Los Banos Medical Center, Laguna
Pres. Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital, Olongapo City
Cagayan Valley Medical Center, Tuguegarao City
Cauayan Medical Specialist Hospital, Isabela

Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital, Pampanga
James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital, Olongapo City
Bataan St. Joseph Hospital, Balanga City, Bataan
Dagupan Villaflor Hospital, Dagupan City
Pangasinan Medical Center, Dagupan City
Paulino J. Garcia Medical Center, Cabanatuan City
Notre Dame Hospital, Baguio City
Baguio General Hospital, Baguio City
St. Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart, Baguio City
Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center, Ilocos

Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital, Legaspi City
Bicol Medical Center, Bicol
Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, Cebu
Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hosp., Bacolod
St. Elizabeth Hospital, General Santos City
Cotabato Regional & Medical Center, Cotabato City
Northern Mindanao Cancer Detection Center, Cagayan De Oro City
Kidney and Prostate Clinic, Daet, Camarines Norte
Zamboanga City Medical Center, Zamboanga City
Damian J. Reyes Mem. Hospital, Marinduque

St. Martin Hospital, Noveleta, Cavite City
St. Rafael Hospital/Sacred Heart Med Center, Pampanga
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Medical Center, Pampanga
Mt. Carmel General Hosp., Lucena, Quezon
Lipa Medix Medical Center, Lipa City
Lorma Medical Center, San Fernando, La Union
Valencia City Health, Bukidnon
MD Square Medical Clinic, General Santos City
Butuan Doctor’s Hospital, Butuan City
St. Camillus Hosp., Davao City

Medical Center of Digos, Davao del Sur
Dumaguete City Health Office, Dumaguete City
Tarlac Provincial Hospital, Tarlac City
Western Visayas Medical Center/Jose Monfort Mem. Dist. Hosp., Iloilo
Mariano Marcos Memorial Medical Center, Ilocos
Bulwagan ng Bayan II, Capitol Compound Balanga City, Bataan; Klinika ni San Jose, St. Joseph Cathedral, Balanga City
Sorsogon Medical Mission Group Hosp. & Health Srvcs Coop, Sorsogon
Fatima Medical Center, Valenzuela
The Health Centrum, Inc., Roxas City
Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao City

Rubrics Stone and Prostate Center of Asia, Malolos, Bulacan
Manila East Medical Center, Taytay, Rizal
Mary Johnston Hospital, Tondo, Manila
Nazarenus Hospital, Meycauayan, Bulacan — Joel Locsin/BM, GMA News