ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) recently held a regionwide KonSulTa or "Konsultasyong Tama at Sulit" caravan in Western Visayas to bring its programs and services closer to local communities.

The kick-off activity of the caravan was held on March 20 at SM City Iloilo in the Mandurriao district of this city with the support of the PhilHealth Iloilo Local Health Insurance Office (LHIO).

In Iloilo City, PhilHealth-accredited KonSulTa package providers, Medicus Diagnostic Center and QualiMed Hospital Iloilo of Healthway Medical Network, provided the registration and first patient encounter (FPE) to participating PhilHealth members visiting the event venue.

Fostering the program’s objectives, Monteverde encouraged Filipino families to change their health-seeking behavior with the PhilHealth KonSulTa program’s variety of benefits from free consultation to drugs and medicines, to laboratory diagnostic examinations.

“While we progressively realize universal healthcare, I hope that PhilHealth is at the top of every Filipino family’s healthcare priorities, specifically of the Western Visayas. That PhilHealth will not only remain as a household thing but will be more felt and appreciated by every Juan and Juana of Region 6,” she added.

Forty-four -year-old driver Martin Carmen from Cabatuan town in Iloilo province expressed his gladness at knowing for the first time about the primary care benefit package of PhilHealth.

With the support of the LHIOs in the provinces, PhilHealth also conducted the caravan at Lemery in Iloilo province, Sipalay City, Binalbagan City, Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, and Roxas City in Capiz. On March 26, PhilHealth was also able to bring the KonSulTa caravan to Bacolod City, Antique, and Aklan.

This activity is also part of PhilHealth’s 29th anniversary celebration this year with the theme "Damang-dama ko ang Benepisyo,” highlighting the new and enhanced programs, benefits, and services of PhilHealth.

Meanwhile, in their respective messages of support, Iloilo Provincial Administrator Dr. Raul Banias representing Governor Arthur R. Defensor Jr., and Executive Assistant to the Mayor Mandrei Malabor representing Mayor Jerry P. Treñas of Iloilo City, both conveyed gratitude to PhilHealth for their support in bringing health services closer to the people through its various programs. (AAL/FRG/PIA6)