Taguig’s hospital showcases state-of-the-art upgrades

In Taguig, residents need not go to private hospitals to avail high-quality healthcare services.

Under Mayor Lani Cayetano’s administration, Taguigeños are assured that the probinsyudad is not left behind when it comes to high-quality innovations and modern upgrades in healthcare. The city-run Taguig Pateros District Hospital (TPDH) recently installed brandnew equipment that will provide better healthcare services to Taguigeños.

Among these hi-tech apparatuses are the C-Arm, a medical imaging device based on X-ray technology, and an endoscopy machine which is used for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (to look into the esophagus, stomach and small intestines), lower gastrointestinal endoscopy (rectum, colon) and bronchoscopy (lungs).

TPDH also acquired modern blood-clotting devices such as the Erbe electrocautery machine and Argon plasma coagulator. Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a form of electrosurgery that helps control internal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, liver and spleen, among others. The equipment uses argon gas turned into plasma, aiding clotting when sprayed on the lesion. The electrocautery machine heats tissues with electricity to prevent or stop bleeding after an injury or during surgery.

The city hospital now has its own Mammography Center and CT Scan facility equipped with a Siemens Somatom 16 Slice CT Scan, a Digital X-Ray and a Digital Mobile X-Ray. These equipment provide high-quality images with lesser waiting time.

On top of all these is the newest addition to city-run hospital which is the brand-new laparoscopic machine. It enables doctors to operate on a patient’s abdomen through small incisions, with the aid of a camera.

“With the installation of this machine, doctors don’t need to do massive incisions to patients,” explained Dr. Timoteo Neil Trinidad, chairperson of the Department of Surgical Sciences and head of the ER Trauma Department at TPDH. The laparoscopic machine allows the surgeons to do a minimally invasive procedure which is associated with less pain and less danger for the patient. With the laparoscopic surgery, patients enjoy a shorter hospital stay as long as they do not encounter complications.

A laparoscopic machine has many uses, but is particularly well-suited for procedures like cholecystectomy — the surgical removal of the gallbladder, hernia (luslos) and gastrointestinal perforation. Dr. Trinidad explained that almost all surgeries are possible with the amazing capability of the laparoscopy machine.

Presently, three to four surgeons in TPDH are skilled on the use of the laparoscopy procedure, acknowledged as one of the very highly skilled procedures in the field of medicine. Only surgeons who are accredited or who have a specialization in the area can do the operation.

Dr. Trinidad said that the plan to purchase new medical devices in the future is always there. He explained that they will keep on researching new equipment that are more advanced, user- and patient-friendly.

“With these state-of-the-art upgrades of TPDH medical facilities, we assure our residents that the city government is determined in providing the best healthcare services,” Mayor Lani said.

Since her first term in 2010, the lady mayor has helped raise the quality of the facilities at the city hospital. TPDH now operates the Taguig City Human Milk Bank, the Taguig Social Hygiene Drop-in Center, a TB-DOTS clinic and its own Home Health Unit, which provides free home-care nursing services for bedridden patients.

In 2015, the Department of Health recognized TPDH as a Mother-Baby Friendly Hospital.

The city makes it a point to enroll indigent patients to PhilHealth’s Point-of-Care Program. The program allows financially incapable patients – either non-members classified as Class C-3 or D; or members not covered due to the lack of qualifying contribution and classified as Class C-3 or D — to get the medical treatment they need.

TPDH also implements Philhealth’s “no-balance billing” scheme which makes medical treatments for indigents free-of-charge.

The local government of Taguig intends to continue finding ways to provide top-class medical services to its constituents without sacrificing the essence of public service: affordability and accessibility.

“What we want is for every Taguigeño to avail in our very own hospital the same quality medical service private hospitals offer — without them having to travel far or pay as much. Everything that we have done so far is for the greater good of our constituents,” Mayor Lani added. ###

FILIPINO VERSION

Taguig ibinida ang de-kalidad na serbisyo at modernong kagamitang medikal

Mataas na antas ng serbisyong medikal at modernong kagamitan na noo’y makikita at mararanasan lamang sa mga pribadong ospital ay ngayo’y nasa Taguig na.

Sa ilalim ng pamamahala ni Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, hindi na nagpapahuli ang pamahalaang lungsod ng Taguig upang maibigay ang maayos na serbisyong medikal at pangkalusugan  sa mga Taguigeño.

Hindi lamang mga modernong medical equipment kundi pati na rin ang maayos na serbisyo para sa mga nangangailangan ng lunas sa mga karamdaman ang ibinibigay ng nataguriang probinsiyudad ng bansa.

Kamakailan lamang, ang Taguig Pateros District Hospital (TPDH), na pinapangasiwaan ng pamahalaang lungsod, ay naglagay ng mga makabagong kagamitan upang ang mga Taguigeño ay hindi na pupunta pa sa mga pribadong ospital at gumastos ng malaking halaga upang makakuha ng mataas na kalidad na serbisyong medikal.

Kabilang sa mga hi-tech na aparatong na-install sa TPDH kamakailan ay ang  C-Arm, na isang medical imaging device gamit ang X-ray technology; at ang endoscopy machine na ginagamit upang makita ang lagay ng lalamunan at bituka gamit ang camera na ipapasok sa esophagus papunta sa loob ng sikmura pati na rin sa rectum at colon, at ang bronchoscopy (lungs).

Ang TPDH ay bumili rin ng modernong blood-clotting devices kagaya ng Erbe electrocautery machine at Argon plasma coagulator upang maiwasan ang matinding pagdurugo ng mga internal na sugat. Ang Argon plasma coagulation (APC) ay isang paraan ng electrosurgery na tumutulong na ma-control ang internal bleeding sa gastrointestinal tract, atay at lapay, at iba pa. Ang makina na gumagamit ng argon gas na ginagawang plasma, ay tumutulong na magkaroon ng clotting kapag ginamit sa mga internal na sugat. Ang electrocautery machine naman ay umiinit sa mga tissue ng katawan gamit ang koryente  upang maiwasan o mabawasan ang pagdurugo sa pag-opera o kapag may matinding injury.

Ang TPDH ay mayroon na ring  Mammography Center at pasilidad para sa CT Scan gamit ang Siemens Somatom 16 Slice CT Scan, isang Digital X-Ray at ang Digital Mobile X-Ray na lahat ay nakapagbibigay ng mataas na kalidad na mga litrato ng mga kaloob-loobang parte ng katawan.

Bago pa rito, naglagay na  rin ang TPDH ng isang bagong laparoscopic machine. Sa pamamagitan ng makinang ito ay maooperahan ang  pasyente na gagawa lamang ng maliit na hiwa,  gamit ang kamera,  upang maalis ng siruhano ang ano mang kailangan tanggalin sa katawan.

“Dahil may kamera ang laparoscopic machine, nakikita ng surgeon ang hindi nakikita ng mata lamang. Dahil dito, hindi na kailangang gumawa ng malaking hiwa sa katawan” paliwanag ni Dr. Timoteo Neil Trinidad, hepe ng Department of Surgical Sciences at pinuno ng ER Trauma Department sa TPDH.

Bunga nito, nababawasan ang sakit na naidudulot ng operasyon at mas madaling maghilom ang sugat.

Ilan sa silbi ng laparoscopic machine ay para sa cholecystectomy — ang pag-alis ng gallbladder, luslos  at gastrointestinal perforation.

Tatlo hanggang apat na surgeons sa TPDH ang eksperto sa pag-gamit ng laparoscopy procedure. Ang mga accredited na surgeons lamang ang pwedeng  gumawa ng operasyon gamit ang laparoscopy machine.

Sinabi pa ni Dr. Trinidad na ang plano sa pagbili ng mga makabagong kagamitang medikal ay kaakibat na sa programa ng pamahalaan ng Taguig at ang kanilang mga doktor ay patuloy na magsasagawa ng mga paraan para lalong umangat ang kanilang lebel ng kasanayan.

“Sa tulong ng mga  state-of-the-art na aparato  sa TPDH, ginagarantiya ng pamahalaang lungsod ang pagbibigay ng pinakamahusay na serbisyong medikal sa mga Taguigeño,” saad pa ni Mayor Lani.

Simula pa nang maupo noong 2010, patuloy na itinaas ni Mayor Lani ang kalibre ng Taguig sa healthcare.

Ang TPDH ngayon ang namamahala sa  Taguig City Human Milk Bank, Taguig Social Hygiene Drop-in Center, TB-DOTS clinic at ang Home Health Unit na nagbibigay ng libreng home-care nursing services sa mga pasyenteng halos hindi na makabangon.

Noong 2015, kinilala ng Department of Health ang TPDH bilang isang Mother-Baby Friendly Hospital.

Tinitiyak rin ng siyudad na ang mahihirap na pasyente ay naka-enrol sa PhilHealth Point-of-Care Program. Sa pamamagitan ng programang ito, pati ang mga hindi miyembro ng  Class C-3 o D o mga member na hindi sakop  dahil sa kulang ang hulog na premium ay mabibigyan ng maayos na serbisyong medikal.

Ipinapatupad din ng TPDH ang programang “no-balance billing” ng Philhealth na nagbibigay ng libreng serbisyong medikal  sa mga maralita.

Patuloy ang lokal na pamahalaan ng Taguig sa paghahanap ng mga mabisang paraan upang palaging maitaas ang kalidad ng serbisyo publiko sa mga nangangailangan ng tulong medikal.

“Hangad namin na ang bawat  Taguigeño ay makakuha ng kasingtaas na kalidad ng serbisyong medical sa aming ospital, na hindi nalalayo sa kalidad ng mga pribadong ospital subalit sa mas mababang halaga at sa institusyon na mas malapit sa kanila” wika ni Mayor Lani. ###