ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Metro Manila devider 'Cancel cancer': Close to 9,000 Makatizens benefit from Makati City's free chemotherapy sessions

'Cancel cancer': Close to 9,000 Makatizens benefit from Makati City's free chemotherapy sessions

Published Jun 24, 2024 04:30 am

Aside from offering free unlimited dialysis services to residents, the Makati City local government said it had already provided close to 9,000 free chemotherapy sessions to Makatizens since 2020.

IMG_5502.jpegIMG_5503.jpeg

(Photos from Makati LGU)

Makati City Mayor Abby Binay on Monday, June 24, said that the city-run Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) has provided a total of 8,980 free chemotherapy sessions to Makati City Yellow Card holders through the city's Yellow Card program.

"We aim to ensure that every Makatizen receives the healthcare they need without worrying about the cost. We are here to support our residents in their fight against cancer," Binay said.

She explained that because PhilHealth only covers a fraction of the cost of chemotherapy, the city has taken additional steps to subsidize the remaining expenses, regardless of the cost.

“Chemo is more expensive than dialysis because the type of medicine needed varies from patient to patient. We have patients with bills over P130,000 for a single session, and Philhealth only covers a maximum of P7,280. Most cancer patients cannot afford that, but our Yellow Card holders pay absolutely nothing,” the mayor explained.

The local government unit (LGU) shared that in December 2023, a 56-year-old patient from Barangay Palanan incurred a chemo session bill of P138,002.37, covering medicine, lab procedures, and supplies, without any cost to the patient. Similarly, on March 15, 2024, a 65-year-old woman from Guadalupe Nuevo had her treatment expenses of P132,824.40 entirely covered by the city.

Binay stressed that the health of Makatizens is a top priority, and the city is dedicated to removing financial barriers to essential medical services.

The majority of chemo patients at OsMak are being treated for breast cancer for females and prostate cancer for males. Sessions can either be weekly or every two weeks.

The Yellow Card, officially known as the Makati Health Plus Program, is a pioneering healthcare initiative providing comprehensive medical benefits to registered residents.

These benefits include free chemotherapy, unlimited dialysis, maintenance medicines, routine check-ups, and laboratory and diagnostic procedures.

Under this program, Yellow Card holders enjoy significant healthcare subsidies, allowing them to access treatments without the burden of high out-of-pocket expenses. The city government covers costs not reimbursed by PhilHealth, ensuring continued healthcare for Yellow Card holders and their dependents not over 21 years old.

"By providing free chemotherapy and other essential medical services, Makati has set the bar high for healthcare services in the country. Makati City reinforces its role as a leader in innovative and inclusive healthcare solutions by ensuring that all citizens, regardless of income, have access to life-saving treatments," the city government said.

 

Related Tags

metro news
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.