Hit-and-run victim to finally undergo operation, thanks to Cayetano's medical caravan

Single mom Berlin Alayne Calderon had been working hard to provide for her two children when misfortune struck: she injured her arm in a hit-and-run incident, rendering her unable to continue her livelihood as a seamstress.

"Ang hirap po kasi nasa akin ang mga anak ko at ako po ang bumubuhay sa kanila. Hindi po ako makapagtrabaho lalo na po't nag-aaral ang dalawang anak ko," she told a team from the office of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano that was conducting a medical caravan in San Fernando, Pampanga on March 16, 2023.

Calderon said she spent months trying to get some assistance for her arm operation but only found help through the senator's medical program.

"Kung saan-saan nagpupunta pero walang tulong. Buti na lang kanina bago kami umuwi, nakita namin itong medical assistance desk ni Senator Cayetano at makakapag-opera na ako," she said.

A teary-eyed Calderon expressed gratitude to the senator for the medical assistance, which will finally allow her to have the much-needed operation to heal her arm and eventually return to her work.

Calderon was one of the more than a hundred patients who received help from the medical caravan set up by Cayetano's team at the Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH).

The activity was done in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development Central Luzon under the DOH Medical Assistance to Indigents Patients Program (DOH-MAIPP), and in coordination with JBLMGH Medical Chief II Dr. Monserrat Chichioco and Medical Social Services Department Head Jovita Baybayan.

The medical caravan extended assistance to patients who came from all over Central Luzon such as Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija. Some members of the Aeta indigenous group were also helped.

The patients, who were mostly dealing with chronic kidney disease and hypertension as well as orthopedic and pediatric problems, received help with their payments for hospital, laboratory, medical procedure, medicine, and dialysis bills.

Cayetano, a senior senator, had established a medical assistance program early in his public service with the goal of helping poor Filipinos receive basic medical care at little or no out-of-pocket expense.

In his return to the Senate last year, Cayetano authored several health-related bills such as the Barangay Health Centers Act (Senate Bill No. 303), Super Health Centers in All Cities and Municipalities (Senate Bill No. 304), the Health Passport System Act (Senate Bill No. 60), the Mahal ko, Barangay Health Worker Ko Law (Senate Bill No. 68), and the Floating Hospitals Act (Senate Bill No. 305).

Since October 2022, Cayetano's office has extended medical assistance to more than a thousand patients from all over the country.

Biktima ng hit-and-run, maooperahan na sa tulong ng medical caravan ni Cayetano

Nagsusumikap ang single mom na si Berlin Alayne Calderon para matustusan ang kanyang dalawang anak nang mangyari ang hindi inaasahan: nabalian siya ng braso sa isang hit-and-run incident na naging dahilan na matigil siya sa kanyang trabaho.

"Ang hirap po kasi nasa akin ang mga anak ko at ako po ang bumubuhay sa kanila. Hindi po ako makapagtrabaho lalo na po't nag-aaral ang dalawang anak ko," sabi niya sa ilang tauhan mula sa opisina ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano na nagsasagawa ng isang medical caravan sa San Fernando, Pampanga noong March 16, 2023.

Ani Calderon, ilang buwan na siyang naghahanap ng tulong para maoperahan ang kanyang braso ngunit nakatanggap lamang siya ng tulong sa ilalim ng medical program ng senador.

"Kung saan-saan nagpupunta pero walang tulong. Buti na lang kanina bago kami umuwi, nakita namin itong medical assistance desk ni Senator Cayetano at makakapag-opera na ako," wika niya.

Mangiyak-ngiyak siya habang nagpapasalamat sa medical assistance na ibinigay sa kanya dahil aniya, sa wakas ay maooperahan na siya at makakabalik na sa trabaho.

Isa lamang si Calderon sa higit isandaang pasyente na nakatanggap ng tulong sa pamamagitan ng medical caravan na inihanda ng opisina ni Cayetano sa Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH).

Ginawa ang caravan sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Development Central Luzon sa ilalim ng DOH Medical Assistance to Indigents Patients Program (DOH-MAIPP), at sa pakikipagtulungan nina JBLMGH Medical Chief II Dr. Monserrat Chichioco at Medical Social Services Department Head Jovita Baybayan.

Nakapag-abot ng tulong ang medical caravan ni Cayetano sa mga pasyente mula sa iba't ibang panig ng Central Luzon tulad ng Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, at Nueva Ecija. Ilang miyembro din ng Aeta indigenous group ang natulungan.

Karamihan sa mga pasyente -- na may dinadaing na chronic kidney disease, hypertension, at problemang orthopedic at pediatric -- ay nakatanggap ng tulong na pambayad sa hospital bill, laboratory, dialysis, medical procedure, at mga gamot.

Bilang senior na senador, matagal nang nagtatag ng isang medical assistance program si Cayetano upang tulungan ang mga mahihirap na Pilipino sa kanilang pangangailangang medikal.

Sa kanyang pagbabalik sa Senado noong nakaraang taon, inakda ni Cayetano ang ilang panukalang batas na may kinalaman sa kalusugan tulad ng Barangay Health Centers Act (Senate Bill No. 303), Super Health Centers in All Cities and Municipalities (Senate Bill No. 304), ang Health Passport System Act (Senate Bill No. 60), ang Mahal ko, Barangay Health Worker Ko Law (Senate Bill No. 68), at Floating Hospitals Act (Senate Bill No. 305).

Mula noong Oktubre 2022, nakapag-abot na ang tanggapan ni Cayetano ng tulong medikal sa mahigit isang libong pasyente mula sa buong bansa.