MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL (PIA)--The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth)-10 introduced its newest primary care benefit package dubbed “Konsultang Sulit at Tama” (Konsulta) to enjoy outpatient health services covered by PhilHealth.

Regional Vice-President Delio A. Aseron II urged the Ozamiznons and Misamisnons to register at their chosen private or government primary care provider.

“Malaki ang role ng primary care providers sila ang puso ng PhilHealth sa Universal Healthcare. With the primary care providers tulad ng Tagaloguin-Adona Polymedic & Diagnostic Center mati-treat nila 'yung may mga karamdaman na kayang i-treat ng nasabing facility at i-refer kung ano ang dapat i-refer sa higher facilities,” he said.

(Primary care providers play a big role, they are the heart of PhilHealth in Universal Healthcare. With the primary care providers such as Tagaloguin-Adona Polymedic & Diagnostic Center, they can treat those with diseases that can be treated by the said facility and refer those that can be facilitated by the higher facilities)

Meanwhile, PhilHealth-10 Medical Specialist and Konsulta Focal Person Dr. Francis Ramos explained that the Konsulta package is an expansion of primary care benefits which is newly-implemented, to cover all Filipinos as mandated by the Universal Health Care Law.

“When you invest more in outpatient services; we actually prevent catastrophic diseases from happening, so by investing in the outpatient services, we prevent outpatients becoming inpatients. We help decongest our already full hospitals,” Ramos said.

He bared that there are 13 laboratory and diagnostics examinations, which can be availed of, such as complete blood count with platelet count, urinalysis, fecalysis, sputum microscopy, fecal occult blood, pap smear, lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, oral glucose tolerance test, electrocardiogram, creatinine and HbA1c.

There are also 21 drugs and medicines covered by the package, under the following categories: anti-microbial, fluid and electrolytes, anti-asthma, antipyretics, anti-diabetic, anti-dyslipidemia, anti-hypertensives, antithrombotics and antihistamine.

Ramos said to avail of the services, the members including their qualified dependents have to enroll with PhilHealth’s Konsulta package registry where they can choose one accredited service provider which is accessible or nearest to their residence or workplace.

“We would like to have a healthy and safe community. The primary care benefit is the key and most cost-effective strategy for a healthy population. By investing so much in hospitals we are actually not preventing diseases but we are just solving problems at the end of the line but by investing in primary care, we are solving health problems from the cost, from the root, from the start,” he said.

As of July 6, two hospitals have been accredited as Konsulta package providers in the province particularly Tagaloguin-Adona Polymedic & Diagnostic Center Inc. in Ozamiz City and St. Augustine Hospital in Plaridel, Misamis Occidental. (SMRN/PIA-10/Misamis Occidental)