AS HEALTHCARE can be expensive, people are more likely to use free medical missions when they are available, especially in provincial areas where public hospitals are often congested.
On Thursday, August 29, 2024, residents of Talisay City, Cebu, had the opportunity to access comprehensive free medical services through the "Lab for All" project, which aims to make healthcare more accessible to Filipinos.
A total of 1,500 individuals benefited from the "Lab for All," which stands for "Libreng Laboratoryo, Konsulta at Gamot Para sa Lahat." This project provided medical services including checking vital signs, fasting blood sugar (FBS) tests, ECG (electrocardiogram), blood chemistry tests, urinalysis, X-rays, ultrasound, and medication.
“Syempre dako kaayo og tabang labaw nagyud sa bugas nganu mahal nagyud kaayo run ang palaliton, labi nagyud og magpa checkup ka mahal napud gyud(Of course, it's a big help, especially with rice because everything is so expensive now, especially if you have a check-up, it's very expensive, too),” Janice Echaves, a residents of Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City, Cebu told SunStar Cebu in an interview as to how government’s free services at least cut their financial burden.
The "Lab for All" project, led by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, offers free laboratory services, X-rays, consultations with specialists, and medications.
In Talisay City, Cebu, the program also included free services from other government agencies and the private sector.
The event was attended by Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr., Cebu Province Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, and secretaries from various national agencies, as well as local officials.
Calixto Jabellana, a 74-year-old resident of Talisay City, was accompanied by his son-in-law as early as 6 a.m. to take advantage of the free consultation, medications, and wheelchair services.
Jabellana has been using a borrowed wheelchair for about three years due to prostate complications and hypertension.
Elizar Chiong, Jabellana’s son-in-law, highlighted how the program reduced the cost of Jabellana’s medications and provided a new wheelchair from the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation suppliers of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
“Dako oy kay ang tambal niya pirti bayang mahal, labaw na magpa-ospital (It's a big deal because his medical treatment is really costly, especially if he needs to be hospitalized),” Chiong stressed, noting that his father-in-law received free medicines prescribed by the doctor.
Despite his hearing problems, Jabellana told SunStar Cebu that he was happy to finally have his own wheelchair. “Nalipay ko (I am happy),” Jabellana said.
The "Lab for All" in Cebu was a simultaneous event. It began on Tuesday, August 27, at Barangay Ward 1, Minglanilla, Cebu, benefiting 896 individuals, and at Barangay Lagtang, Talisay City, with 1,262 beneficiaries.
On Wednesday, August 28, it continued in Barangay Pooc, Talisay City, Cebu, with 1,059 beneficiaries.
Alongside the "Lab for All" program, the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed six kilograms of rice, five canned tuna, five canned luncheon meats, five cereal sachets, and five sachets of coffee.
“P1,500 (listed individuals) will receive P3,000 in cash assistance plus one family food pack,” said Juanito C. Cantero, the Assistant Regional Director for Operations in Region 7, emphasizing that the DSWD’s Ayuda para sa Kapos Ang Kita Program would distribute P3,000 to each identified individual.
The City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) of Talisay City identified the beneficiaries from low-income households, evaluated by DSWD 7 a day before the distribution, Cantero added. (CDF)