Medical Assistance and Health Insurance Program:DAVAO CITY

For Congressman Karlo Nograles, the people's health is one of the more important ways of securing a healthy and sound community. Congressman Karlo Nograles started the OPLAN KALUSUGAN (HEALTH), a Medical Assistance and Health Insurance Program that provides poverty-stricken patients the means to secure their much-needed medications. Beginning in 2002, Congressman Karlo Nograles helped initiate the Congressional Medical Assistance Program (CMAP) of Former Speaker of the House Prospero Nograles in partnership with the Davao Medical Center. Through this program, penniless patients confined at the Davao Medical Center were given the opportunity to have a portion of their hospital bills charged to the Office of the Congressman. Even more than that, needy patients who could not afford to purchase medicines for their ailments need only avail of CMAP to be able to draw their medicines from pharmacies recognized by the program and have the cost charged to the Office of the Congressman.

Common Patients who come for CMAP assistance are those who seek assistance for dialysis treatments, maintenance medicines for the heart or high blood or diabetes, animal bites, antibiotics, road accidents and disasters, and even baby birthing and delivery.

Proper health care, however, must not be limited only to the treatment of illnesses. Preventive healthcare must also be provided. That is why in 2005; Congressman Karlo Nograles made sure health services were extended down to the community level. Partnering with non-government organizations, some government offices and several barangay councils, Congressman Karlo Nograles sponsored the medicines and other materials for various Medical and Dental Missions and Tuli (circumcision) operations conducted in different communities in Davao City. To date, a total of at least forty (40) of such Missions have been sponsored by Congressman Karlo Nograles.

Source: www.nograles.com