Health Group Appeals to Pope Francis to ‘Heal’ the Sick

(PNA) — Community based health organizations, health professionals, health science students, hospital workers, community health workers, and patients who are part of the Council for Health and Development (CHD) on Tuesday appealed to Pope Francis for healing of Filipinos who are suffering from serious illnesses.

“Pope Francis has chosen the motto miserando atque eligendo, meaning lowly but chosen,” said CHD Deputy Executive Director Rosalinda C. Tablang.

“We hope that His Holiness can hear our plea,” she said.

The Holy Pontiff is scheduled to visit the Philippines on Jan. 15-19. Included in his itinerary is to go to Tacloban and Palo in Leyte to conduct dialogue with the survivors of super typhoon “Yolanda” that killed thousands of Filipinos in November 2013.

At present, the government as an initiative to address the said problems, through the PhilHealth program “Tsek-Up”, is educating the people about preventable and curable disease by encouraging them to have regular visits to the hospital so that they will know how to take care of their health through healthy lifestyle.

Through the Universal Health Care Program of the government, the Department of Health (DOH) is also giving the poor or indigent families an access to free health care when they are hospitalized or confined in government hospitals.

The DOH also conducts immunization program and other health programs to ensure that health conditions of the people are being addressed.

It also launched a telehealth medicine in Marinduque to ensure that those in the far-flung areas that have limited access to health facilities and treatment can be treated through the said modern device wherein the patient can communicate or seek medical treatment and be given proper medical advice.

Just recently, DOH Acting Secretary Janette Garin cited that they will boost partnership of DOH with other agencies like the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and PhilHealth to ensure the access of passive firecracker and stray bullet incident victims to treatment or operational expenses.

Also, the DOH is eyeing to strengthen that partnership by also extending the service to disaster victims whose health conditions are affected and needing assistance as they suffer some accidents or hazards to their health condition that requires expensive treatment procedures. (PNA) LGI/LSJ