Free TB test in PhilHealth diagnostic package eyed

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Martin Romualdez and his wife, Tingog Partylist Rep. Yedda Romualdez on Thursday said they will request the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to include prerequisite tests for suspected tuberculosis (TB) carriers in its free diagnostic packages.

They made the proposal during a health caravan organized by the party-list solon and House Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo 1st Dist. Rep. Janette Garin.

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

(According to Rep. Garin, what’s happening is they are not being given medication because they cannot be tested to determine if their kidneys and liver can tolerate the medication, and they also risk infecting their family or neighbors.)

Hence, the speaker and his wife said they will ask PhilHealth president Emmanuel Ledesma to include in its free Konsulta packages the prerequisite tests for suspected TB carriers, specifically, the creatinine and SGPT/SGOT tests.

Meanwhile, the ”Bantay Kalusugan” health caravan was held at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) in Tigbauan, Iloilo City.

It served a total of 1,000 farmers and fisherfolk in Iloilo City who received prescribed medicines and underwent medical checkups and diagnostic procedures.