More than a hundred Caviteños received medical aid from the Office of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano at the Southern Tagalog Regional Hospital on April 28, 2023 in partnership with the Department of Health-Medical Assistance to Indigents Patients Program (DOH-MAIPP).
The medical desk was set up to accommodate patients dealing with animal bite, diabetes, childbirth, pneumonia, and auto immune illnesses.
The patients received assistance with their payment for hospital bills, medicines, laboratories, and medical procedures. Most of the patients served by Cayetano’s office come from different parts of Cavite like Bacoor, Cavite City, Naic, Imus, Tanza, and Noveleta.
Arlene Arevalo of Bacoor, Cavite, whose two sons were hospitalized, expressed gratitude for the help since their hospital bills were running high.
“Humingi po ako ng medical assistance dahil ang aking dalawang anak ay na-confine po dito. Unang anak ko po ay naoperahan sa luslos noong April 25. Kaya po naging dalawa sila dahil ‘yung anak ko na nagbabantay ay na-expose naman sa may COVID-19 na pasyente,” Arevalo said.
“Ngayon lang po ako naka-experience na sila po ang pumupunta sa mga ospital para lapitan [ang mga nangangailangan], at napakadali po ng proseso nila. Handa silang tumulong sa nangangailangan,” she added.
A tearful Rebecca Francisco, whose son was admitted due to cardiac arrest during an appendix operation, said she had been praying for the recovery of her son and provision for the hospital bills.
“Salamat sa Diyos na may encounter po kaming ganitong [medical caravan] sa tagal namin dito na tatlong buwan. Salamat po at nagpunta kayo dito para tulungan kaming may pasyente dito. Sana po marami pa kayong matulungan tulad namin,” Francisco, who is from Tanza, said.
Since October 2022, Cayetano’s office has extended medical assistance to thousands of patients from all over the country. According to its official Facebook Page — Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano Tulong-Medikal — the program will continue to set up medical desks in various hospitals nationwide to help more Filipinos in need of medical assistance.
Cayetano, a veteran senator, had established a medical assistance program early in his public service with the end goal of helping poor Filipinos with their medical care and medicines.
In his return to the Senate last year, Cayetano authored several health-related bills such as the Barangay Health Centers Act (Senate Bill No. 303), Super Health Centers in All Cities and Municipalities (Senate Bill No. 304), the Health Passport System Act (Senate Bill No. 60), the Mahal ko, Barangay Health Worker Ko Law (Senate Bill No. 68), and the Floating Hospitals Act (Senate Bill No. 305). ###
