ILOILO City – Western Visayas residents can now walk into a shopping mall not only to shop but also to get free medical consultations, screenings, vaccinations and other preventive healthcare services as the Department of Health (DOH) brings government healthcare closer to the public.
DOH has opened the region’s first mall-based Wellness Clinic at the ground floor of SM City Iloilo in Mandurriao district, allowing the public to avail themselves of a wide range of health services for free and without an appointment.
The clinic formally opened on August 26 and had already served nearly 130 people as of August 28. More than 30 children aged six months to 59 months also received free measles-rubella vaccines.
Dr. Mary Pauline Gestosani, officer-in-charge assistant regional director of DOH-6, said the mall-based clinic concept was initiated during the tenure of former Health secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa as part of efforts to make healthcare more accessible under Republic Act 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act.
“Gusto naton nga ang aton serbisyo sa ikaayong lawas mapaabot gid sa aton mga pumoluyo. Nakita naton nga mostly ang aton mga pumoluyo, ang bilog nga pamilya ara sa mga malls, especially during weekends and holidays, dira naga-bonding. Because of that, nagpangita ang DOH sang paagi nga luwas sa aton naga-exist nga rural health units and hospitals, diin bala sila pwede pa gid magkadto para ma-avail ang mga serbisyo sang DOH,” Gestosani said during the Kapihan sa Philippine Information Agency Western Visayas on Thursday morning, September 3.
The Wellness Clinic is open from Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Among its services are reproductive health and family planning services, campaigns on family planning and safe sex practices, HIV awareness, testing, counseling and referral to treatment hubs.
The facility also provides preventive services such as immunization across different life stages and vaccination campaigns.
Patients may seek general consultations for common outpatient concerns, screening for warning signs and conditions requiring referral, as well as prescriptions or appropriate medicines following consultation.
Services for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus are also available.
For pregnant women, the clinic provides antenatal care, abdominal ultrasound examinations, folic acid and iron supplements, and screening for selected communicable diseases such as HIV, hepatitis and syphilis.
It also offers screening for anemia, gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension; fetal Doppler examinations; referrals for high-risk pregnancies; and postpartum care.
Other available services include deworming, oral health screening and assessment, and oral health campaigns.
Optional services include tuberculosis consultations and clinical assessments supporting passive case-finding efforts, cancer screening, non-laboratory facility-based testing for common sexually transmitted infections, and rehabilitation services for selected conditions, including physical, occupational and speech therapy.
No appointment or prior schedule is required to avail oneself of the services.
“Libre ini tanan sia,” Gestosani said.
The clinic is staffed by one doctor, one nurse, one midwife, one medical technologist and support personnel.
DOH-6, however, has yet to extend clinic operations to weekends because of limited manpower.
The agency plans to seek additional funding to hire more personnel, which could eventually allow the Wellness Clinic to operate on weekends when malls traditionally draw larger crowds./PN
