Author: Lorielyn Patoc

In the midst of the calamities experienced in the southern part of Mindanao, the bayanihan spirit is alive!

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On October 31, 2019, Mahintana, Kasilak, Dolefil and Dole Stanfilco distributed six rolls of tarpaulin (trapal) that will serve as temporary shelter for the earthquake-afflicted families in North Cotabato. The second batch of the Caravan of Hope was conducted on November 2, 2019 where Mahintana Foundation, partner cooperatives, the Rotary Club Central and the Municipal Cooperative Development Council (MCDC) of Polomolok pooled resources to be donated to the affected. There were 321 families who received grocery packs, clothes, beddings and water.  The next batches of the donations will be delivered within the week.

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Indeed, Filipinos are resilient in the face of troubles because of their generosity and bayanihan.  #BangonMindanao

Seven management staff of Surigao Economic Development and Microfinancing Foundation, Inc. (SEDMFI) led by their Executive Director, Ms. Imelda Wines, conducted Learning Visit at Mahintana Foundation, Inc. and South Cotabato Provincial Hospital (SCPH) to benchmark on implementation of HEALTH Plus. The activity held on October 24-25, 2019 started with the presentation of the implementation of Social Franchising System in the Philippines including history, objective, social franchising, institutional arrangement and different business models of HEALTH Plus by Ms. Margie S. Managuit, Project Manager.  It was followed by presentation of the 12-year experience of the foundation on HEALTH Plus including history & background, initial investment, project areas, 12-year performance and milestones, success factors, gaps and challenges.  The participants also shared the challenges with their public hospitals which are lack of budget support to the provincial hospital, clients are navigated to Caraga Regional Hospital due to lack of manpower, medical supplies and equipment at the public hospitals.  These concerns may be the hindering factors for them to successfully implement the HEALTH Plus.  Ms. Managuit suggested to lobby and to provide technical assistance to the local government for the upgrading of the public health facilities considering the implementation of the newly-approved Universal Health Care Law. 

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On the second day, the participants visited SCPH to learn on the billing and collection process with Dr. Rodit Delfino, Admin Officer, Atty. Marnito Cosep, OIC, Provincial Legal Office and Ms. Cynthia Barrientos, CPA, Provincial Accountant, facilitated by Ms. Managuit. Dr. Delfino testified on the active partnership between Provincial Government and Mahintana which is an important facilitating factor on the successful and sustained implementation of the project.  Ms. Barrientos also suggested for SEDMFI to bring with them the provincial department heads on their next learning visit.  At the end of the 2-day activity,  SEDMFI partners were very happy of their learning and were encouraged to implement HEALTH Plus in their region also to increase access of more indigent patients to quality and affordable medicines and supplies.  Mahintana also committed to assist SEDMFI in the establishment of their chosen HEALTH Plus model/s. 

The HEALTH Plus project implemented by Mahintana Foundation, Inc. conducted Technical Working Group meeting on October 23, 2019 at Maasim Municipal Hospital (MaaMH) with 3 representatives from the hospital headed by their Chief of Hospital, Dr. Rosalie Sobretodo and 3 representatives from Mahintana-HEALTH Plus led by their Project Manager, Ms. Margie S. Managuit. Ms. Jea A. Roque, RPh, HEALTH Plus Supervising Pharmacist presented the accomplishments of HEALTH Plus Shop-in-a-Shop, a hospital-based complementary pharmacy located in MaaMH and managed by the project. Accomplishments as of September, 2019 include number of patients served, served and unserved drugs and medicines, Type ABC inventory, Drug Price Comparison Survey results and financial performance. Some of the challenges raised during the meeting were the unpredictable change of fast-moving items due to change in the doctors-on-duty which led to stock-outs both at the hospital pharmacy and HPSiS and the increase amount of expenses due to renovation of HPSiS which results to a negative bottomline. At the end the meeting, the participants agreed to set-up a Revolving Drug Fund (RDF) amounting to P20,000 for the HPSiS to temporarily address stock-outs.

Four representatives from Polomolok Municipal Hospital (PMH) headed by Dr. Graciano P. Vencer, Chief of Hospital (COH), and three from Mahintana Foundation, Inc. (2 from PPF and 1 from HPSiS) led by Ms. Margie S. Managuit, HEALTH Plus Project Manager, convened for a Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting on October 18, 2019 at COH office of PMH. The meeting started with the presentation of accomplishments of HEALTH Plus Shop-in-a-Shop (HPSiS) as of September, 2019 including number of patients served, served and unserved prescriptions and financial performance. It was noted that there was really decrease in the gross revenue of the HPSiS comparing it to previous year due to the availability of drugs, medicines and supplies at hospital pharmacy. Ms. Wency Musa, PMH Admin Officer, also updated the participants that there is still P1M budget allocated for payment to Mahintana. She added that there wouldn’t be any concerns on payables of the hospital to HPSiS until the end of the year. Ms. Analyn Lingganay, PMH Liaison Officer, also raised the concern on the returned Statement of Accounts (SOAs). They then resolved and agreed that there should be checking of SOAs first at the HPSiS level before submitting it to hospital bookkeeper. They also agreed that the submission is at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily to avoid backlogs.

Ms. Managuit also informed the body that the DOH-FDA is doing their regular monitoring of the hospital pharmacies. She suggested for HPSiS to transfer beside the hospital pharmacy since the former is a rider to the LTO and under the supervision of the hospital pharmacy. At the end of the meeting, they agreed for Mahintana to fastrack the renovation of the new location of the hospital pharmacy and HPSiS; PMH also requested for 10 pallets for their storage to comply with FDA requirements.

On October 16, 2019, Mahintana Foundation, Inc. through its HEALTH Plus project, joins the Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting in Lake Sebu with representatives of Rural Health Unit (RHU) and Community Health Care Complex (previously Lake Sebu Municipal Hospital) headed by Dra. Jocelyn Bayquin, Municipal Health Officer (MHO) and Mahintana Foundation, Inc. with Ms. Margie S. Managuit, Project Manager and Ms. Jea A. Roque, RPh, Supervising Pharmacist and Ms. Yvonne Templonuevo, Nutripan Coordinator.  The meeting started with updates from Dra. Bayquin on the operations of the hospital with recently approved PhilHealth accreditation.  She stated that their petty cash of P50, 000.00 per week for medicines and supplies will not anymore suffice the demand of increasing admitted patients.  She recommended for Mahintana to fastrack establishment of HEALTH Plus in their locality.  She added that the design and program of works for the renovation of the location of HEALTH Plus Shop-in-a-Shop (HPSiS) is already available and the cost has reached P158, 000.00.  She added that if ever there are concerns with FDA then the RHU will apply for its own License to Operate (LTO) with the salaries of the registered pharmacist to be taken from the operations of HPSiS. For the meantime, she added that, the hospital is applying for LTO but Ms. Joyce Bagaybay, RPh, has some concerns with the formulation of the Risk Management Plan (RMP) as one of the requirements for LTO application. She also stated that the Ordinance integrating RHU and hospital is already on public hearing, however, there are still challenges on convincing Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members for its approval.

Ms. Managuit stated that she will submit the design and program of works to management for their approval and once approved, she will formulate the service contract and communicate with Dra. Bayquin to start the renovation. Ms. Roque also stated that she might be able to help in the formulation of the RMP.  Dra. Bayquin also instructed Ms. Bagaybay to provide the list of fast moving medicines and supplies of the hospital and Ms. Guia Arroza, Public Health Nurse, for the RHU to be submitted to Ms. Roque through email for reference in the initial stocking of Lake Sebu HPSiS.

In line with the celebration of its 12^th founding anniversary, Mahintana-HEALTH Plus project joins the medical-dental mission cum “Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan (LBK)” in partnership with the Provincial Government of Sarangani through its Provincial Health Office headed by Dr. Arvin Alejandro, Provincial Health Officer and Municipal Government of Malapatan headed by Hon. Salway Sumbo, Municipal Mayor and Dr. Bong Remitar, Municipal Health Officer.   The LBK was held in Barangay Kinam, Malapatan on October 15, 2019, also in line with the celebration of their 6^th Tuke Fali Festival. Barangay Kinam is one of the Geographically Isolated and Depressed Areas (GIDAs) where majority of its residents are Blaans and other Indigenous Peoples.

The activity served at least 482 indigent patients with dental and laboratory services, family planning and implanon insertion, medical consultation and distribution of free medicines, feeding of undernourished children, PhilHealth enrollment, and dog vaccination. The pregnant women were given priority in order to address challenges on maternal and child mortalities. Several residents also availed the PhilHealth enrollment to ensure access to free government health services whenever they are hospitalized. Additional residents will also be served of the same services through the Rural Health Unit of Malapatan and DOH Human Resources for Health manpower the following day, October 16.

Mahintana Foundation, Inc., through its HEALTH Plus project sponsors the Association of Municipal/City Health Officers of the Philippines (AMCHOP) – South Cotabato Chapter Quarterly Meeting on October 15, 2019 at Viajera Dine, Koronadal City, South Cotabato.  The meeting was attended by 5 Municipal Health Officers (MHOs) from Sto. Nino, T’boli, Tantangan, Tampakan and Lake Sebu, 3 representatives from Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) headed by Dr. Rogelio Aturdido, Jr., Provincial Health Officer (PHO) and 2 representatives from Mahintana Foundation, Inc. Dra. Jocelyn Bayquin, MHO of Lake Sebu, AMCHOP President and presider of the meeting, started with giving of rationale which is a follow-through activity of the Strategic Planning workshop held at Venue 88 and clear out any misunderstanding regarding the Universal Health Care (UHC) implementation.  She updated the group that the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the law has already been signed thus, will become the basis of the province’s implementation as one of the advanced sites.  Dr. Aturdido also updated the group that the Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) with their Bridging Leadership program will gather the Provincial Governor and all Municipal/City Mayors to orient them about UHC and deepen their understanding on the Special Health Fund on October 22, 2019.  Mr. John Salcedo, IPHO Admin Officer, also provided the group updates about the Local Investment Plan for Health (LIPH) as an output of the strategic planning workshop.  Ms. Marifort R. Rodel, IPHO point person on UHC, presented the UHC implementation plan of the province for the next 6 years per integration area: technical, managerial and financial.  She also informed the participants that they should start with their survey since the deadline of PhilHealth on the submission of the results will be on or before December 31, 2019.  Dra. Evelyn Diosana, MHO of Sto Nino, raised the concern on the budget for printing of survey forms.  Ms. Hora suggested that instead of having manual profiling, for the RHUs to utilize the paperless Open Data Kit (ODK) in the profiling. She committed for the foundation to sponsor the ODK training for the enumerators.  The group agreed on the suggestion.

At the end of the meeting, the participants agreed on the following: IPHO together with Reach Health as TA provider on UHC, Mahintana Foundation, Inc. and Dra. Bayquin, to enhance the implementation plan on October 18, 2019 for presentation to the Governor and Mayors during the October 22 meeting; Mahintana to schedule ODK training for the enumerators not later than the last week of October, 2019, depending on the availability of the Resource Speaker, and confer the final schedule for the training to Dra. Bayquin; MHOs to include in their LIPH the purchase of tablet and android phones for ODK-based survey and profiling; Ms. Rodel of IPHO to discuss with DOH 12 for the availability of tablets for temporary use by the enumerators for profiling to hit PhilHealth’s deadline.