The Makati City government has allotted P900 million for its free medicines program this year, a 50-percent increase from last year’s budget of P600 million.
Mayor Abby Binay asked the city council to increase the budget for the Makati Health Plus program, better known as Yellow Card, to ensure that it would be sustained with adequate funds throughout the year.
In July, the Makati Action Center made door-to-door deliveries of free maintenance medicines and vitamins worth P7.2 million to some 4,099 senior citizens age 70 and above and to bed-ridden beneficiaries identified by the Makati Health Department (MHD).
According to MHD records, there are 232,672 Yellow Card beneficiaries to date, including 42,335 seniors and 171 persons with disabilities.
The program covers medicines for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, enlarged prostate, gout, cough and colds, sexually transmitted infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, seizure disorder, allergy, ulcer, vertigo and gastrointestinal problems, among others.
Free multivitamins for children, adults and pregnant patients, as well as oral and injectable contraceptives, are also provided.
The authorized distributor is Planet Drugstore with eight outlets to cater to their respective clusters. —Erika Sauler