Sustaining his push for free, quality healthcare for all Filipinos, the office of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday extended help to 200 patients in the San Lazaro Hospital (SLH) in Manila who have little to zero capability to meet their medical needs.
In coordination with SLH’s Medical Chief II Dr. Edmund B. Lopez, Cayetano’s Tulong-Medikal team set up a medical assistance desk at the hospital on March 29, 2023 to help its patients mostly suffering from pneumonia, tuberculosis, hypertension, animal bite, and other health issues.
The medical caravan was able to provide P1 million worth of medical assistance to the patients, which included payments for hospital bills, laboratory and medical procedures fees, medicines, and vaccines.
One of the patients was Marina Asuncion, a resident of Tondo, Manila who was at the time in an emergency situation after being bitten by a stray cat. She could not afford the vaccine needed for her treatment as her skin test revealed she is allergic to the one commonly used.
“Kanina pa po ako nag-aalala kung saan ko kukunin y’ung aking pambili ng vaccine. Sana patuloy po kayong tumulong sa mahihirap,” Asuncion said.
Since October 2022, Cayetano’s office has extended medical assistance to more than a thousand patients from all over the country.
The senator’s ‘Tulong-Medikal’ team will continue to set up medical desks in various hospitals nationwide to help more Filipinos in need of medical assistance.
Immediately after the start of the 19th Congress 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).###
