• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City is gearing up to become an independent regional heart center in the Philippines as the third cardiovascular surgical mission, under Project Paglaum, was held this week.
Dr. Julius Drilon, CLMMRH medical center chief, said in a press conference June 26 that Project Paglaum represents the hospital’s “commitment to fulfilling the Department of Health’s mandate as a designated cardiovascular center”.
In partnership with the Philippine Heart Center (PHC), Project Paglaum also aims to “capacitate regional hospitals, like CLMMRH, to decentralize cardiovascular surgeries and interventions from PHC to provinces…in compliance with the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 11959, or the Regional Specialty Centers Act signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Aug. 24, 2023.
Dr. Juliet Balderas, OIC deputy executive director for Medical Services of the PHC, led a team of 23 in the conduct of the third cardiovascular surgical mission, with eight indigent children six to 15 years old as beneficiaries.
These kids from Bacolod and neighboring cities of Bago, Silay, and Kabankalan in Negros Occidental, have complex heart conditions, like ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and Tetralogy of Fallot, and successfully underwent surgeries on June 24 and 25.
The surgical mission this week was part of the four-phase multiyear development plan Project Paglaum. The first mission was held from May 29 to June 2, 2023, with 13 adult and pediatric beneficiaries, while the second cardiovascular surgical mission on Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, 2023 had five patients with coronary artery diseases, who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedure.
Balderas said the last phase of Project Paglaum is for CLMMRH to start conducting cardiac surgeries on its own, noting that it is more than ready to become a full-blown heart center, adding that its personnel have been trained and capacitated on cardiovascular care, and has the facilities, equipment, and machines for it.
She said the hospital could also apply for accreditation with PhilHealth so that the surgeries could be subsidized and at no cost to the patients.
“We hope to see independence among regional heart centers” like CLMMRH, Balderas said.
The CLMMRH said that this year, Project Paglaum aims to establish a program for open-heart surgery sustained by the Z-benefit (package of PhilHelth) “to ensure equitable access and financial protection for the poor against catastrophic health expenditures resulting from cardiovascular diseases.”
Dr. Jorge Edward Masa, head of the Cardiovascular Care Center, said this is a start towards sustainability, and he hopes that from 2025 to 2027, more patients will be served and more services added so that, by 2028, every Negrense would be able to avail of cardiovascular care. | CGC
