LUBAO, Pampanga — The Department of Health (DOH) launched Wednesday its Surgical Caravan at Escolastica Romero District Hospital with 600 indigent patients receiving free check-ups and undergoing minor surgical operations.
“In a bid to respond to President Duterte’s directive to grant health services to all, especially to the poor, we launched this caravan to provide free quality health services,” Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial said.
“Since Local Government Units (LGUs) are proactive in conducting this, the Surgical Caravan will no longer be a special project but, rather, a regular health system for all Filipinos,” she added.
DOH allotted Php3.6-billion this year to carry out the nationwide caravan.
“The said budget will fund the medical assistance program purposed to provide quality and free health services for all, and will be used to cover the expenses of all check-ups and operations performed on each patient,” she disclosed.
Through the medical assistance program of DOH, all of the patients’ expenses for medicines, follow-up check-ups, cleaning of wounds, and more, will be covered.
“All these will be distributed and delivered with the help of LGUs, since it [caravan] is a collaboration of all sectors, including in particular LGUs and PhilHealth,” she said.