As the consciousness for wellness continues to give rise to more opportunities for preventive health care, an increasing number of Filipinos are flocking to the doctors’ clinic seeking to get a regular medical check-up. This is based on the incontrovertible fact that timely executive check-ups may indeed avert an impending heart attack, prevent further deterioration of kidney function or even save a limb from being amputated.
However, the rising cost of medical services has precluded easy access to the aforementioned preventive health care and has been deemed by many patients to be impractical or unnecessary.
But this need not be the case, if it were up to Centuria Medical Makati, a 28-storey, 74,000-square-meter facility that seeks to revolutionize preventive health and outpatient care, the delivery of preventive health care and wellness services can be made accessible and affordable. With such preventive health care and wellness services being set up at the Executive Screening Center at Centuria Medical Makati, the promise of being able to deliver a practical and sensible approach to quality preventive health care can become a reality.
For this to move a step closer to being achieved, the Executive Screening Center has forged a partnership with Centuria Medical Makati and went on to strategically package its wellness services.
The team of Dr. Oscar Cabahug, medical director of the Executive Screening Center, has come up with wellness packages that are generally suitable and appropriate for each particular patient group.
“What we want to do is to tailor-fit imaging and laboratory tests according to the individual needs of particular patients. It does not make sense to advise patients to do the entire range of imaging and laboratory tests if he or she will probably not benefit from the conduction of the majority of those tests. Aside from being impractical, the conduction of blanket screening tests will result to prohibitive healthcare costs,” Dr. Cabahug, manifested. “What we need to do is to limit the imaging and laboratory tests to those which can detect medical conditions before it can lead to something irreversible or before it can lead to further organ damage.”
Patients under the age of 50 will be recommended to avail of the Basic Health Package. This package covers all the necessary basic imaging and laboratory screening tests including a chest x-ray, an upper abdominal ultrasound, an electrocardiogram and basic laboratory tests. Other tests may be recommended which will rely heavily on the result of the initial consultation and assessment. All these basic and additional tests are evidence-based, avoiding tests and consequent treatments which are unnecessary, expensive and potentially dangerous.
A male adult 50 years of age or above can avail of the Golden Health Package for Males. “In addition to the Basic Health Package, an ultrasound, a blood test and examination by a urologist to detect prostate conditions will be included. These are recommended only in this age group based on the premise that unless symptoms are present, a man younger than 50 years is not likely to have a prostate condition” Dr. Cabahug said.
In the same manner, a woman 50 years of age or above will be advised to avail of the Golden Health Package for Females. In addition to the Basic Health Package, this would include breast and gynecologic imaging and examination by a gynecologist to detect breast and gynecologic conditions that are relatively more common among women in this age bracket.
Additional add-ons may also be recommended after the initial consultation and assessment, including gastrointestinal endoscopy, ophthalmology, ENT and dermatologic consultations.
Source: The Manila Times | March 28, 2016