Project: Kalusugan Para sa Lahat

A coordination meeting with the local government of San Juan City through the office of San Juan City Councilor Franco Tañada-Yam was held on October 18, 2024, at the Office of Councilor Tañada-Yam.

Clockwise from left: Kalusugan Para sa Lahat Chairman Nico Hallare, Exakt Med’s MC Mendoza, Ryan Groves, Ross Groves, RCM President Jujut Enriquez, San Juan City Health Officer Dra. Mitzi Tanchoco, and Councilor Franco Tañada-Yam.

Photo after a thorough discussion on the need-to-do list before proceeding with the implementation of the Kalusugan Para sa Lahat Project. Seated from left: Kalusugan Para sa Lahat Chair Nico Hallare, Councilor Franco Tañada-Yam, and Pres. Jujut Enriquez. Standing from left: EXAKT Med’s MC Mendoza, Ryan Groves, and Ross Groves

The Kalusugan Para sa Lahat project intends to institutionalize primary care in the country through the Universal Health Care Act of the Philippines. Primary Care is the first line of defense of the Filipinos against diseases. It captures health issues early and prevents them as an objective.

The project will enroll the Filipinos in a community into a Philhealth Konsulta Provider in the area of implementation, do the First Patient Encounter, Doctor Check-Up and succeeding laboratory and dispensing of Medicine for free. (Specific primary care labs and medicines are defined by Philhealth.) As a continuing service, the patient may go back to the Provider every year free of charge as part of his Philhealth Konsulta Benefit. Rotary will assist in initiating this Primary Care project in multiple areas where it is needed.

The building up of Primary Care in the country is essential. Currently, the Primary Care needs are still serviced in Hospitals, contributing to the overcrowding and unnecessary treatment of simple cases in the “Secondary Healthcare Facilities.” The current Primary Care initiative in the Philippines is under the Philhealth Konsulta Program. It has tasked the local governments to spearhead this initiative with the help of the private sector to serve ALL Filipinos as envisioned. As of the end of last year (2023), three years after the law has been passed, <1% has been serviced by the program. Issues arise in the implementation as currently, local government units and its health care units are already swamped with activities and initiatives reason for the Primary Care Program not being established.

We believe in this project of the government and that the private sector can help in its success. Rotary Club of Manila can help augment LGUs with the Primary Care Service so that we will be closer to “Kalusugan Para sa Lahat”