DepEd employees in N. Mindanao to access better health care services

 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The city government here sealed Wednesday, March 6, an agreement with the Department of Education-Northern Mindanao and PhilHealth extending to the whole region the scope of the Tamang Serbisyong Kalusugang Pamilya (Tsekap), a program which will provide all DepEd employees better access to healthcare services.

PhilHealth’s Tsekap was first implemented in this city for DepEd’s City School division way back in 2016 and now with the Memorandum of Understanding it has expanded to both teachers and non-teaching personnel of DepEd Northern Mindanao.

PhilHealth’s Marlon Niño Arrabaca said that the program really started in 2013 and has continued to grow and expand the services at the city government-owned Justo R. Borja General Hospital.

“What is now available is the basic consultation services for teachers – blood pressure measurement, breast exams, visual inspection, complete blood count, fasting blood sugar, fecal and urinalysis, lipid profile, drugs and medications,” Arrabaca said.

The JRBGH has seen massive growth since 2013 when city Mayor Oscar Moreno partnered with PhilHealth. The city government has invested heavily on the enrollment of city residents, paying around P200 million annually. PhilHealth in return paid JRBGH for health claims and investments in hospital equipment.

DepEd Northern Mindanao Director Dr. Arturo Bayocot said that they are looking at the welfare of teachers and workers especially their health concerns. “This is a really good move to really prepare the teachers with their health concerns,” Bayocot said.

DepEd employees can now readily access Primary Care Benefits 1, these include  annual checkups and other health services.

Moreno said that the city can now better implement the Universal Health Care Law because the JRBGH is expanding its services, and the city health centers are all accredited to PhilHealth.

“This is to better respond to the challenges in health care, we now have our own PhilHealth department in the city hall, what we are doing is providing and consolidating and integrating health services, we are confident that we can provide the services required from us,” Moreno said.

Bayocot said that it is not only the teachers and employees of DepEd can avail of services, it also includes their children under 20 years old and their parents above 60 years old.

As JRBGH and the city health centers are expanding their services, it is helping alleviate patient congestion at the DOH-owned Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

Dr, Ramon Nery, chief of hospital of JRBGH said that DepEd employees can now avail of express lane for health services.

Nery said that the outpatient-dispensary (OPD) benefits of DepEd employees can extend to, when condition warrants, hospitalization services.

“We deem it necessary for providing special care for DepEd, an express lane. We will not only take care of your OPD needs, if condition warrants, we can cater to your hospitalization,” Nery said.

Dr. Nery said JRBGH is a free hospital, “Nobody pays at the JRBGH,” Dr. Nery added.

Health services rendered to DepEd employees at the JRBGH will be paid by PhilHealth.

Moreno also urged DepEd to update their electronic records of employees and their payment to PhilHealth.

DepEd Northern Mindanao covers the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon and Camiguin.

Moreno said that with the MOU, even teachers in Oroquieta City can now avail of health services in the city as the JRBGH is on a continuing expansion for health services.

JRBGH is expected to open its first Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with an initial 2 beds for Neonatal and 6 beds for adult. Other services such as CT-Scan will also open soon.

Dr. Nery said that they are opening a new building where patient watchers can sleep in comfort, the watchers building will have 10 restrooms comparable to that of malls. “We must give dignity to the watchers of also,” Dr. Nery said.

A new state of the art mortuary will also open within the year at the JRBGH.

Dr. Nery said that they are aiming to make JRBGH a tertiary hospital by 2020. – Rappler.com