MORE health services are up for Baguio City.
Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda is pushing for a law for effective and efficient delivery of health care inclusion of both palliative and hospice services may soon be part of general services.
The lady councilor said the Constitution provides the state shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
“Guided by its commitment to bring its primary health care services closer to the grassroots, the Health Services Office established 16 District Health Centers mandated to bring quality medical care to every resident of the community,” Tabanda said.
The proposed law passed its first reading during this week’s regular session.
Initial funds for the proposed measure will be sourced by the Health Services Office from any available funds. An annual appropriation for this program shall be incorporated with the annual budget of the Health Services Office (HSO).
Palliative care is defined as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual. Palliative care for children is the active total care of the child’s body, mind and spirit, and also involves giving support to the family.
Hospice care on the other hand is end of life care provided by skilled health care providers and volunteers. The goal of the care is to help people who are dying to have peace, comfort and dignity by providing medical, psychological and spiritual support. Hospice programs also provide services to support a patient’s family.
Tabanda has included life-threatening and time-limiting illnesses include end-organ failure, mental illness, dementia, rabies, Acquired Immune Deficiency S5mdrome (AIDS), cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rare diseases, malignant hyperthermia, serious physical injuries, post-acute myocardial infarct (AMI), post-stroke, blood dyscrasias, drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), congenital disorders, among others.
General guidelines stipulated in the new law includes the formulation of policies that will integrate Palliative and Hospice Care that will cater to age related needs and integrated into the city’s health care system and shall be institutionalized at all levels of care from primary to tertiary levels care through the service delivery network.
Palliative and hospice care requires holistic and multidisciplinary approach which include, but is not limited to physician care, nursing care, medications, medical supplies and equipment, counseling, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
If approved, the local law will mandate the 16 District Health Centers to provide palliative and hospice care services through a Community Home-Based Care (CHBC) approach. The HSO shall provide the guidelines for the CHBC approach in collaboration with existing NGOs, Religious groups, and private institutions.
Included in the proposed law is research and advocacy on Palliative and hospice care shall be coordinated by the HSO as well as training of health professionals and stakeholders, including the family members of the patient shall be spearheaded by HSO in collaboration with other sectors and relevant disciplines.