CPHO: Laboratory Tests Are Free in Provincial Hospitals

Laboratory tests are free of charge for indigent patients who wished to avail of these benefits in any of the Cebu Provincial Hospitals, a Capitol official said.

Provincial Health Office (PHO) Chief Rene Catan reiterated this following the installment of brand-new medical equipment in the Cebu Provincial Hospital – Carcar City late last week.

Equipment for dimension expand plus, chemistry analyzer, immune analyzer, complete blood count analyzer, blood gas analyzer, and electrolyte analyzer were set up in the province-run hospital.

These modern laboratory machines, Catan said, will also be available soon in other provincial infirmaries.

Patients can avail of the clinical tests for free because PhilHealth will be paying for them, said Catan, adding that with this development, patients will no longer have to go to private laboratories for clinical examinations.

Catan added that machines for automate CBC, urine strip reader and DCA vantage analyzer for diabetic patients are set to arrive soon and will be distributed among the provincial hospitals in the cities of Carcar, Danao, Bogo and Balamban town.

“To further improve public healthcare services, the PHO partnered with a private medical company for the upgrade of medical equipment in the provincial hospitals,” said Catan.

Catan explained that the provincial government did not spend a single peso for these machines since it was the FAS laboratory marketing company that provided the equipment.

Medical equipment for immunology and bacteriology tests will also be installed soon to enable the provincial hospitals to collect and process blood for its own blood centers, Catan added.

In addition to the laboratory equipment, PHO is also waiting for the delivery of computed tomography (CT) scan machines and digital x-rays.

7Upgrading of hospitals and equipment are among Capitol’s commitment to provide free healthcare services to indigents under Gov. Hilario P. Davide III’s six-key development agenda.

Just last year, the Provincial Board amended section 173 of the Provincial Revenue Code of 2008 by granting exemption to indigents from payment of ambulance charges.

With the hospital upgrade, Catan is also inviting medical technicians and medical doctors to work for the province-run hospitals.

“We offer a bigger salary. We are looking for doctors, who are general practitioners as well as specialists,” he said.

This year, the Capitol has allotted P133 million for the upgrade of hospital amenities on top of the P488 million budget of the PHO. (Kelvin Cañizares)

SOURCE: www.cebu.gov.ph