The Davao City Health Office (CHO), in partnership with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), on Wednesday showed the “Konsulta Package” implementation in Agdao District.
The demonstration, held at the Davao Convention Center, was intended to orient stakeholders to the mechanisms and provisions under the health package, and strengthen their commitment to the implementation of the program.
The demonstration was also done in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
DOH Undersecretary Dr. Abdullah Dumama, CHO Head Dr. Ashley Lopez, PhilHealth Regional Vice President Atty. Harvey Carcedo, Councilor Trisha Villafuerte, representatives from the public health sector, and local officials attended the launching.
Konsulta is a PhilHealth benefit package that will provide primary care services such as consultation, laboratory services, dental, x-rays, and medicines.
Accredited primary care facilities such as Rural Health Units (RHUs), health centers, District Health Offices (DHOs), barangay health centers, and other private primary care clinics provide these services for free.
All of Davao City’s district health centers have been accredited, according to the CHO.
The city’s health sector aims to have 478,590 Dabawenyos registered under the Konsulta Package. As of October 4, a total of 23,933 individuals have been registered as Konsulta beneficiaries. Of which, 709 individuals are from Agdao District.
The beneficiaries can be classified as either “direct contributors” (those who earn enough to make regular PhilHealth contributions) or “indirect contributors” (the underprivileged who cannot make regular payments to PhilHealth).
Villafuerte, reading a statement from Mayor Sebastian Duterte, said accessible quality healthcare promoted by the package “has always been a priority of the government, especially on how quality service can be delivered to the communities.”
She said the city government looks forward to more health programs that aims to improve the welfare and wellbeing of the people.
Dumama, in his speech, urged citizens to register under PhilHealth and the Konsulta Package as he invited them “to practice a healthy lifestyle through regular consultation” in order to “maintain good health practices, preempt possible health crises, and treat promptly threatening health conditions.”
Lopez said this “multi-partnership initiative” between the local government and various health agencies will also decongest public hospitals by preventing them from being overwhelmed by patients needing primary care services.
“This is what we have been waiting for, to have better, more efficient outpatient health services, especially among our health centers as our primary care facilities in Davao City,” Lopez added
The CHO continues to hold mass registrations for the health package. CIO
