Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez (left) and House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Facebook)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez and his wife Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez said Thursday, April 25, that they will ask the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to include prerequisite tests for suspected tuberculosis (TB) carriers in the free diagnostic packages.

The House power couple issued this statement during a health caravan in Iloilo City aptly called “Bantay Kalusugan with Ate Yedda". 

It was partly organized by House Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin. The health caravan served about 1,000 farmers and fisherfolks.

“Most of the time, suspected TB carriers have no means to have themselves tested for TB because of the costs it entails,” Speaker Romualdez said.

The Speaker noted that individuals with TB are not able to access free medication because of the lack of preliminary kidney and liver readiness tests.

“According to Deputy Majority Leader Garin, ang nangyayari, hindi sila nabibigyan ng gamot kasi hindi nila mapa-test kung puwedeng tumanggap ng gamot ang kanilang kidneys at liver, tapos nakakapanghawa pa ng kapamilya o kapitbahay,” he added.

(What happens is that they are not given medicine because they cannot test whether their kidneys and liver can accept medicine, and then they may also infect family members or neighbors.)

Speaker Romualdez says he will personally ask PhilHealth President Emmanuel Ledesma to include the TB prerequisite tests in the agency’s free Konsulta packages.

Rep. Romualdez, a registered nurse, said PhilHealth should also include in its Konsulta packages the creatinine and SGPT/SGOT tests.

She said both tests are needed for suspected TB carriers. 

“This way, we can help more people get medical attention for a very communicable disease that can affect even children. We help the people who have TB and we prevent the spread of this preventable disease,” added Rep. Romualdez.

Recently, the Romualdez couple and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo asked PhilHealth to provide free mammograms and breast ultrasounds to women who may be suspected of having breast cancer.

The state health insurer approved this request. It will soon include both tests in its Konsulta packages.

PhilHealth’s Konsulta—which is shortened from Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama—aims to protect every Filipino against chronic illnesses through early detection and provision of affordable drugs and medicines.