CANCER TESTING CLINIC. A Catholic priest on Thursday (Aug. 29, 2024) prays over the medical workers assigned at the newly opened Baguio City Health Services Office’s Blood and Cancer clinic. The clinic will provide screening service to patients referred by the 16 District Health Centers serving the city’s 128 villages. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)
BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio City Health Services Office on Thursday opened the Blood and Cancer Clinic at the HSO main center in Barangay T. Alonzo that will be used to screen patients referred by the 16 District Health Centers serving the city’s 128 villages.
The center will have two consultants -- a hematologist and an oncologist who will process the screening.
"The center will help de-clog the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) Cancer Center," said Dr. Anna Marie Banta, Medical Officer IV and cancer focal person of the HSO.
She said at least 15 clients can be attended per day at the clinic, which will also link the patient to other cancer prevention and management stakeholders including possible funders to help ensure continued treatment and medication.
Opening of the center will also allow the city government to keep track of the condition and treatment of the patients who were first referred by the primary health care providers and whom they also refer to the BGHMC and other treatment facilities.
Dr. Kimberly Cutiyog Ubando, head of the Department of Health-managed BGHMC cancer center, in an interview on the sidelines of the event, said the hospital caters to about 700 cancer patients.
“We are glad that the city government has a cancer center because this will mean Baguio residents will no longer be handled by BGHMC for the screening and detection and we can focus on the treatment and post treatment. This is a big help,” she said.
Ubando said they cater to different cancer patients, most of whom have been diagnosed with breast, prostate, cervical, and lymphoma cancers.
Basic testing
Dr. Jasmin Igama, a hematologist and adult oncologist who has volunteered to do the screening of patients on schedules, said they want to see Complete Blood Count (CBC) testing of city government employees as an initial move to determine the health condition of the workers.
“We did a CBC in the past for city workers and from that basic laboratory testing, we identified four persons sick with cancer but they were unaware,” she shared.
Councilor Lourdes Tabanda, who chairs the City Council’s committee on health, said they are now studying a proposed measure aimed to establish a cancer prevention council to ensure the provision of medical, moral, and financial assistance to patients. (PNA)
