TMC Clark PhilHealth Z Package Cares for the Heart
In July 2017, 64-year-old Violeta Bagtas Hernandez and her family travelled from Bataan province to Quezon City to consult a cardiologist about her heart condition. Hernandez was previously diagnosed with a coronary artery disease.
Coronary artery disease is the narrowing or blockage of the artery or arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle. This narrowing is caused by plaques, which are cholesterol deposits on the vessel wall, resulting in abnormal and gradual thickening of the lining of the heart arteries which is a condition known as atherosclerosis. The narrowing usually develops slowly over many years.
The heart has three main coronary arteries. Patients are said to have single, double, or triple-vessel disease, depending on the number of vessels that are narrowed. In the case of Hernandez, it was a triple-vessel disease. She was already experiencing symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of breath. In medical terms, this is called angina.
Hernandez’ cardiologist, Dr. Roberto Cristobal, suggested to them to go The Medical City (TMC) Clark instead of spending almost three hours on the road going to the Quezon City based hospital.
TMC Clark is located at the Global Gateway Logistics City, a 177-hectare master planned logistics and business center inside the Clark aviation complex. It is one of the provincial hospitals of the country’s largest health network, The Medical City.
“Nag alala kami noong una dahil hindi namin afford sa TMC Clark (We were hesitant at first because we could not afford it in TMC Clark),” said Ms. Che Lucas, Hernandez’ daughter.
Dr. Cristobal however told them that TMC Clark is now an accredited facility for the delivery of PhilHealth Z Benefit Package for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). PhilHealth will cover as much as P550,000 for member patients needing a coronary bypass.
The Z Benefit Packages, designed to address catastrophic illnesses, were initially available in selected government hospitals nationwide. It was designed for the treatment of breast and prostate cancer, acute lymphocytic leukemia, ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of fallot, coronary artery bypass graft, selected orthopaedic implants, among others. PhilHealth’s move to invite private hospitals hopes to increase accessibility and provide more options for its members.
In order to help achieve Universal Health Care for all Filipinos and true to its aspiration of ensuring that “Bawat Pilipino, Miyembro; Bawat Miyembro, Protektado; Kalusugan Natin, Segurado,” PhilHealth issued a call for private health care institutions such as TMC Clark to apply for contracting services for the delivery of any of its existing Z Benefit Packages.
With this latest development, TMC Clark makes its world-class cardiovascular services more accessible to patients in Central Luzon and nearby provinces. Patients in need of a coronary bypass need not go to Metro Manila hospitals to undergo this life-saving procedure.
“We went to TMC Clark to inquire about their PhilHealth Z package. We asked about the requirements for eligibility for the Z-benefit package then gathered and prepared all these, “said Ms. Che Lucas.
“There was proper coordination between us and the TMC staff that’s why mom was able to undergo the procedure on July 09, 2017, merely 1 week after we first went to TMC Clark to inquire,” she added.
Hernandez was discharged from the hospital on July 15, 2017. She lauded and thanked the hospital’s Cardiovascular Center team who attended to her led by Dr. Cristobal for her successful operation.
“They are all competent, generous and caring,” said Hernandez.
Ms. Che Lucas also expressed gratitude to her mother’s doctors, nurses, and the rest of the staff who took care of Hernandez.
“We are happy with our experience here at The Medical City Clark. We were treated well. They were really kind and caring to us. Akala namin mag iiba ang treatment nila sa amin dahil under Philhealth Z package kami pero hindi sila ganun (We thought they would treat us differently because we were under the Philhealth Z package but they were not like that),” shared Ms. Che Lucas.
Hernandez said she feels a lot better and stronger now. She and her family are now at ease knowing that they can always count on TMC Clark for their healthcare needs.
TMC Clark has a Multidisciplinary Cardiovascular Center (MCC) that offers the following services for:
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Acute Heart Attacks
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Permanent Pacemaker Implantation
- Temporary Pacemaker Insertion
For inquiries, please call TMC Clark Cardiovascular Center at 045-598-4000 or 0916-448-8046.