GMA’s Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko, DOH sign deal for patients’ treatment, halfway home

GMA's Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko (KKMK) and the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of agreement to expand the service of the first and longest-running public service program on Philippine television and help the government reach its public health goals.

KKMK Pres. Orly Mercado and Health Sec Paulyn Jean Ubial signs MOA for hospital admittance of KKMK patients, halfway house pic.twitter.com/EkOcHoc6tq

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) October 5, 2016

Under the agreement, signed by KPMK president Dr. Orly Mercado and Health Secretary Dr. Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial, patients recommended by the 40-year-old show will be allowed to enter four government hospitals in Quezon City free of charge.

These hospitals are the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC),the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC), the Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC), and Amang Rodriguez Hospital (ARH).

Patients recommended by KKMK will be covered by PhilHealth's point-of-care enrollment program if they are not yet part of the government's insurance system.

KKMK patients entered to DOH hospitals will be enrolled to PhilHealth; KKMK will provide meds not in DOH's system pic.twitter.com/ajO2QroDVk

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) October 5, 2016

In-patient treatment and medication will be covered by PhilHealth while KKMK will cover outpatient, collateral expenses, and medication outside the DOH's inventory.

"Yung tinatawag ni President Orly na handholding... is something that we already conceptualized pero hindi ho within the resources of the Department of Health to hire people to do that, yung patient navigator," Ubial explained.

"Working with the foundation, we can now have, more or less, comprehensive or complete service delivery provision na yung hindi kayang ibigay ng Department of Health ay nasu-suportahan ng foundation," she continued.

This "trailblaizing initiative", as described by Ubial, will also include the creation of a halfway home staffed by KKMK volunteers for patients undergoing chemotherapy on the DOH's expense.

Ubial: Halfway houses built, maintained by NGOs; will admit chemo patients to help them finish treatment pic.twitter.com/8ytfW97Apr

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) October 5, 2016

Ubial said this will have a profound effect on cancer patients who are often forced to stop treatment due to expenses related to travel and accommodation.

"Sa Davao, nagawa namin yun and that was also my vision when I came to be Secretary of Health. Sabi ko, that same situation is happening nationwide, na hindi natatapos ng pasyente yung kanilang chemo kasi uuwi sila, wala na silang pamasahe pabalik," Ubial said.

"Bago makarating sa hospital, yung pamasahe, inuutang 'yan. 'Pag desperadong-desperado, they skip going to the hospital because they think kaya pang tiisin, and this leads to aggravations and interventions that are not as productive if they are treated early," Mercado added.

Because the DOH is prohibited by the Commission on Audit from building a halfway house near government hospitals, the DOH needs partners to build and maintain such facilities.

Whereas the Rotary Club helped make the six-bedroom facility in Davao, the same Chinese donor who agreed to build a 100,000-square meter "mega" rehabilitation center in Nueva Ecija will help the DOH build a two-storey, 20-bedroom house in front of the Philippine Blood Center.

"They will be simultaneously building the halfway house here in Quezon City. According to our donor, it can be completed... within two weeks because these are prefabricated materials," Ubial said.

"We are looking at the possible parking area which we will now fence off to actually house this halfway house eventually. It's very immediate and it can be done very quickly," she continued. — BM, GMA News