HEALTHCARE. Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III (left) interacts with an elderly patient at Urdaneta City District Hospital during the turnover of new equipment on Sept. 10, 2024. Guico aims for full utilization of PhilHealth’s Konsulta package in the province, focusing on preventive care. (Photo courtesy of Pangasinan provincial government)
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Governor Ramon Guico III is urging residents of Pangasinan to take advantage of PhilHealth’s Konsultasyong Sulit Tama (Konsulta) outpatient benefits available at provincial hospitals and health centers.
The health package promotes preventive care rather than waiting for illness to occur.
“Even if you have children, bring them to the provincial hospital and work with local officials and barangays. There’s no reason not to get a check-up with our preventive health program,” Guico said during the “Handog ng Pangulo: Serbisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat” event on Friday.
He acknowledged that fear, cost and lost income often discourage people from seeking medical check-ups.
To address these issues, Guico said transportation and food support will be available for those visiting health facilities. An ordinance is expected to pass this year.
“Many people avoid hospitals and only go when they're very ill, which makes treatment more expensive. Our new ordinance, the Pangasinan Government Unified Incentives for Medical Konsulta, aims to encourage regular checkups using the PhilHealth Konsulta program,” he said.
The provincial government is also upgrading facilities and acquiring new equipment, including an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), seven CT (computed tomography) scan machines, 19 X-ray machines, and 22 ultrasound machines for the 14 provincial hospitals.
Additionally, the province has purchased four hectares of land for a new community hospital in Umingan and two hectares in Tayug to expand the Eastern Pangasinan District Hospital.
Guico reminded that preventive care is more cost-effective than curative care, thus the focus on health investments.
“This will help improve our understanding of the health of our residents and provide valuable data each year,” he said, referring to the Konsulta package.
The Konsulta package includes various lab tests and 21 medicines for different conditions.
Each PhilHealth member is entitled to PHP1,700 in Konsulta benefits per year.
Members who have not yet registered are encouraged to do so with one of the 161 Konsulta-accredited regional healthcare providers, including 12 private facilities.
As of July 31, Pangasinan has 2.5 million PhilHealth members. (PNA)
