QC registers around 5,000 senior citizens for free maintenance medicine program
The Quezon City (QC) government announced on Saturday, May 7, that a total of 4,920 elderlies in the city registered to its free maintenance medicine program since it resumed last April 5.
Through the QC Senior Citizen Maintenance Medicine Program, elderly residents are given free maintenance medicines for hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol including Losartan (50mg/tab), Amlodipine (5mg/tab), Metformin (500mg/tab), and Simvastatin (20mg/tab).
According to the local government, there are already 40,000 citizens who receive medicines monthly since the program was implemented in December 2019.
It said that the program was brought to different barangays and communities through its district action offices and health centers to encourage the senior citizens to be part of the said program.
“We always wanted to make our healthcare accessible to all residents, especially to our senior citizens. Gusto nating tanggalin na ‘yung problema buhat ng kawalan ng pera pambili ng gamot, at the same time, maiparamdam na aalagaan natin sila dito sa QC ( We want to get rid of the problem that they cannot buy medicine due to lack of money, at the same time, to make them feel that we will take care of them here in QC),” incumbent Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
“Tuluy-tuloy ang ginagawa nating caravan sa ating mga komunidad para mas marami pang lolo at lola ang makatanggap ng libreng gamot at iba pang serbisyong pang-senior citizen ("We are continuously doing caravans in our communities so that more grandparents can get the free medicine and other services for senior citizens),” she added.
The local government said that the elderlies should visit the nearest health center in their community which are open Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and present their QCitizen or Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs identification cards to register for the program.
The senior citizens can get their free maintenance medicines every first Tuesday of the month.
Those who need medicines that are unavailable in the health centers will be referred to the Social Services Development Department for medical assistance, the local government said.