Nearly 2,000 benefit from Capitol’s medical caravan

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu provincial government brought free surgical services directly to Argao through a three-day medical mission, easing the burden on Cebuanos needing expensive eye operations.

At least 54 patients underwent cataract and pterygium procedures during the outreach activity spearheaded by the Capitol, sparing them from what would have been millions of pesos in hospital expenses.

According to the official Facebook page of the Cebu provincial government, the initiative is part of the continuing healthcare reforms under the administration of Governor Pamela Baricuatro, particularly the effort to make medical services accessible to communities outside urban centers.

The medical and surgical mission also highlighted the widening challenge faced by residents in remote areas who struggle to obtain specialized treatment because of financial and logistical limitations.

Using the current Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) package rates as a basis, cataract surgery without lens replacement may cost around ?20,000 per eye, while pterygium procedures are estimated at roughly ?15,000 per eye.

The cost becomes significantly higher in private medical facilities where cataract operations may range from ?20,000 to ?50,000 per eye, while pterygium surgery may climb to as much as ?30,000.

With several patients requiring treatment for both eyes, Capitol estimates showed that beneficiaries were spared from paying approximately ?2.3 million.

The medical mission also carried out a wide range of major and minor operations for patients needing urgent intervention.

A total of 162 surgical procedures were completed, including hernia repairs, gallbladder surgeries, goiter removal operations, and gynecologic procedures.

The outreach team likewise attended to hundreds of residents through outpatient consultations and diagnostic examinations such as X-rays, electrocardiograms, and blood chemistry testing.

Medical personnel also conducted 303 eye examinations and distributed 277 eyeglasses to patients who needed vision correction.

Dental services formed part of the activity as well, with 280 procedures performed during the three-day mission, while 169 individuals also availed themselves of HIV screening services.

Overall, the Capitol’s healthcare caravan served 1,842 patients throughout the duration of the outreach program in Argao.

Public Health Consultant Dr. Nikki Catalan emphasized that medical caravans alone cannot permanently solve the province’s healthcare gaps.

She said the long-term solution lies in strengthening and upgrading Capitol-run hospitals so they can eventually perform complex procedures regularly and independently. — (FREEMAN)