Gov’t needs to step up community awareness on availability of healthcare services

CEBU CITY – Healthcare service providers in Cebu said that there is a great need for government to step up its communication, education, information and awareness campaign on its healthcare services program, specifically on the implementation of the Universal Health Law (UHL) and the availability and benefits of the YAKAP-PhilHealth programs at the community level.“One of our frustrations and challenges as well is the lack of awareness among families in the barangays in Cebu on the availability and benefits of the government’s healthcare programs in the Philippines,” noted Lorylie Manalili Cabalquinto, COO of Oras Punto Diagnostics by Pulyn, during its opening and blessings of its 2^nd clinic branch in Cebu City.

Cabalquinto told Manila Standard that Oras Punto Diagnostics paid 80 percent of the healthcare costs to its clients in 2016, contracting it with the 2019 program that offers free healthcare from the government’s PhilHealth program, she emphasized the need for better dissemination of information about these programs.According to Cabalquinto, the government’s PhilHealth-YAKAP programs are practically available in all public and private hospitals and healthcare provider clinics in the country, like Oras Punto.

“Information about these healthcare services and programs in remote areas is very much lacking.  Major challenge we face particularly among Filipino communities is that they are hesitant about diagnostics, thinking that they have to pay for all these health tests,” she shared.

Despite efforts to provide free medicine worth P20,000, fear and lack of awareness hinder participation from communities.  There's a need for increased outreach and education before any medical missions, Cabalquinto added.

 Mia Faye Cabalquinto, a US-based, long-time nurse and healthcare practitioner and one of the owners of Oras Punto, highlighted the emotional impact and fulfillment she experienced in providing healthcare to families in remote barangays in Cebu, underscoring the government’s YAKAP-PhilHealth program impact.

She bared that Oras Punto Diagnostic Center embraced fully the YAKAP-PhilHealth availability and benefits for its clients at the center and in its mobile diagnostic clinic in communities around Cebu.  “We want to help.  Despite outreach efforts, there is a significant fear barrier that prevents people from participating, even when free resources are available,” Mia Faye said.

Lorylie on the other hand mentioned that Oras Punto offers the P20,000 worth of free medicine as provided in the YAKAP-PhilHealth program, but registration is necessary to access these resources.  “The need for continued outreach and education to overcome these fears and increase participation is necessary,” she added.

Lorylie acknowledged the importance of these efforts, indicating that they are essential for the success of the program, and she thanked all its doctors and members for their contribution, and their role in raising awareness and educating the community through its diagnostic center and the mobile clinic.

“We underscore the need for ongoing awareness campaigns to address the fears and misconceptions within the community,” she said.

Matt Marvin Cabalquinto knows this. As President of Oras Punto Diagnostics, he built the center around one simple conviction: healthcare should reach people where they are, when they need it.  "We saw many people delaying check-ups due to cost, distance, or inconvenience. We wanted to change that,” he said.

The name says it all. Oras Punto—exact timing. It means providing accurate and reliable healthcare services exactly when patients need them most, and with the government’s full healthcare programs supporting private healthcare providers, health packages are here and fuly available to Cebuanos. (Photos: MBCNewman)