“DONATIONS are never required when going to any of the city’s health centers. Hindi natin ‘yan papayagan. Bawal ‘yan. I-report ninyo sa amin.”
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna thus emphatically declared during her ‘Ugnayan’ with third district residents, as she acted on a complaint from a woman who claimed that a staff from one health center asked her for donation when she went there for medical help.
Lacuna thanked the said resident for informing her and even encouraged others who may have any other complaints or concerns to report either to her directly or to her office in City Hall.
“Ay, hindi pupuwede ‘yan. Bawal. Hindi ako papayag, walang donate-donate!” she stressed.
Lacuna added: “Malinaw ang ating tungkulin. Hindi ko po kinukunsinti para lang alam ninyo. Hindi naman po sa lahat ng pagkakataon ay mababantayan natin sila, pero dahil po nagsabi kayo sakin, meron po tayong pruweba para sabihin ko sa kanila kung ano ang problema at kung kinakailangang palitan ang mga tao doon, gagawin natin.
According to the mayor, the 44 health centers spread all over the city’s six districts are there to offer free primary health care services, even as she and Manila Health Department chief Dr. Arnold Pangan continously call on barangay authorities to urge their constituents to avail of such services.
These services include clinical laboratories, ECG and ultrasound for pregnant women, on top of the free consultation and medicines which are being given also for free such as metformin, losartan and many more. New services include laboratories, x-rays, ultrasound and ECG.
Lacuna said there is no more need for an online appointment system for consultations and the health centers are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.
While walk-ins are being entertained, those who opt to register online for an appointment will also be attended to, adding that the purpose of the online appointment is for city health authorities to already have in advance a file of one’s data for future needs and faster processing.
Lacuna, a doctor, cited the importance of visiting the health centers and availing of the free check-ups without having to wait for any illness to set in.
“Prevention is always better than cure. Tangkilikin ninyo ang ating mga health centers. Pabakunahan po ninyo ang inyong mga anak, apo o alaga,” she stressed.
“Wag na po kayong makipagsiksikan sa ospital, kng matutugunan ng health center ang inyong problema. Sila po ang magssabi kung kailangang sa ospital kayo magpunta,” the mayor said, adding that in such cases, it is the health center concerned which will refer the patient to the hospital nearest to him or her.
