MAKATI Mayor Abigail Binay talked about the city’s health programs in a meeting last week with members of the Filipino community in Rome, Italy.
Binay went on an official trip to Rome to attend the “Joint Summit From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience,” which was held at the Casina Pio IV in Vatican City from May 15 to 17.
The local executive was welcomed by 60 representatives of Filipino communities in Italy.
“By sharing Makati’s successful public health initiatives, I wanted to show that with strong political will and genuine commitment to public service, it is possible for ordinary citizens to have unhampered and unlimited access to quality health care,” Binay said.
She particularly talked about the “Yellow Card” program of the city government that provides subsidized hospitalization to residents at the city-run Ospital ng Makati (OsMak), as well as the provision of free maintenance medicines for hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and uric acid, and heart and lung diseases, and other medical benefits and procedure.
“A Yellow Card-patient’s hospital bill can reach millions of pesos, but we only charge a token fee of P500. Senior citizens aged 70 and above are given their full dosage of maintenance medicines monthly, delivered directly to their homes,” Binay said.
She also highlighted the immunization program of the City Health Office covering newborn babies to adults.
Binay told the Filipinos in Italy that among the free vaccines provided is for shingle, that cost between P8, 000 to P10,000 when availed in private hospitals.
The local chief executive likewise cited the city government’s partnership with the Makati Medical Center, with the former shouldering the full cost of diagnostics and therapeutic services that are not available at OsMak.
Free outpatient and diagnostic services are also provided to Makati residents who are holders of the yellow cards through the Makati Life Medical Center.
Binay acknowledged that the city government could not have provided the services and a comprehensive health care program were it not for the taxes collected from the business community, which comprise the bulk of the city’s income.
Of the city’s P20.9 billion collections in 2022, business taxes reached P9.1 billion.
The city government also surpassed its 2023 revenue target by 13 percent and posted a 41 percent increase in business tax collection in the third quarter of 2023.
