罢贬贰听聽(CLIOC), located in the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Medical Center in San Fernando, Pampanga, announced recently that their doors are open for those in Central and Northern Luzon who聽need聽access to cancer care but cannot travel to Metro Manila.听听聽
鈥淲e are cheaper compared to the prices of treatment in Metro Manila. Our most expensive treatment, radiotherapy, is already the cheapest among radiotherapy services being offered in NCR聽[National Capital Region],鈥 said Jerome R. Paule, CLIOC general manager, at a media briefing.听听
He also said the majority of their patients come from Region III, namely Pampanga (65% of patients), Bulacan (18%), and Bataan (10%), among other provinces. They usually avail of modalities of cancer care such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and nutritional support.听听聽
In the Philippines, cancer is the second-leading cause of death, with聽聽in 2020 alone, according to the Global Cancer Observatory.听听
The Department of Health聽announced in July their plans of beefing up cancer care funds and upgrading government hospitals across the country into聽regional cancer centers.听听
In the meantime, CLIOC is receiving patients being referred to them by public hospitals in Central Luzon, said Dr. Misael C. Cruz, CLIOC medical director. Despite being a cancer facility connected to a private hospital,聽CLIOC聽is making an聽effort to make聽treatment聽more affordable.听听
鈥淲e all know that out-of-pocket medical expenses [for cancer care] are heavy,鈥 he said at the same briefing. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we created a socialized advocacy price for those who cannot afford the services.鈥澛犅
The center鈥檚聽tomotherapy聽machine, for example,聽is a聽sought-after聽form of radiotherapy聽that聽focuses聽on diseased tissues and gives聽real-time evaluation of the area being treated, said Mr. Paule.听听聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 the only center with a聽tomotherapy聽machine in Central Luzon, and it鈥檚 similar to machines being used in Makati Medical Center and Asian Hospital,鈥 he added, emphasizing its availability and relative inexpensiveness.聽
As part of the Integrated Oncology聽Centres聽(IOC), an Asia-wide network of cancer centers, CLIOC stays up to date with the latest standards of cancer care by tapping into teleconsultations with experts from other centers and participating in regional sharing sessions on patient management, said Eng Aik Meng, IOC chair.听听
鈥淚 do hope more and more centers will have greater collaboration because this will allow benefits to patients,鈥 he said. 鈥淔or countries with fragmented care, like the Philippines, we must consider how to replicate models of care like what we are doing.鈥澛 鈥斅Bront毛 H. Lacsamana聽
