KEY PhilHealth-6 officials in Iloilo City. (Tara Yap)
ILOILO CITY—Around 1.41 million residents in Western Visayas region is registered under the Yaman ng Kalusugan (YAKAP), the primary care program of the State-owned Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
PhilHealth-6 Regional Public Affairs Chief Janimhe Jalbuna said this is nearly 17.21 percent of the estimated 8.22 million population of Western Visayas as well as Negros Occidental province.
Junie Sabusap, chief of PhilHealth-6 Field Operations, said that YAKAP is meant as a proactive measure against preventable diseases. “From treatment that needs hospitalization, we want prevention,” said Sabusap.
Under YAKAP, services include free consultation such as check-up, counseling, referrals, and laboratory tests.
YAKAP also covers free screening for breast, lung, liver, and colorectal cancers.
More than 119,100 persons in Western Visayas were able to avail of the services of YAKAP as of Feb. 28.
PhilHealth members and dependents registered under YAKAP can also avail of free medicines worth P20,000 under the Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT).
Dr. Jennifer Go, chief of the PhilHealth-6 Accreditation and Quality Assurance Section, said GAMOT is a big help in covering expenses for medicines after consultation.
PhilHealth-6 is aiming to expand its partnerships in Western Visayas for GAMOT. So far, only 23 out of the 80 accredited clinics are able to dispense free medicines.