Pangasinan war veterans benefit from PVAO medical outreach program

From the Philippine Information Agency (Sep 21): Pangasinan war veterans benefit from PVAO medical outreach program

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – More than 200 war veterans and their families availed of free medical and administrative services  conducted by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) and the Veterans Memorial Medical Center  (VMMC) during its outreach program in Pangasinan last Thursday.

Medical Officer Pilar Ibarra of PVAO said the program aims to bring PVAO services closer to veterans. It  is part of the  Veterans Hospitalization and Medical Care Program (VHMCP) which aims to provide hospitalization and medical care benefits to Filipino veterans and their dependents.

“Layunin nito ang magbigay ng medical services sa ating mga kababayang beterano  na hindi nararating ng VMMC.  Gusto naming magkaroon din ng health care benefits ang ating mga beterano from all over the country,” Ibarra said during the outreach program held at the Narciso Ramos gymnasium.

Services rendered during the event ranged from medical consultation to dental check-up, eye examination, ECG, among others. Recipients also received prescription medicines and eyeglasses for free.

Aside from medical and surgical services, the PVAO outreach program also established a help desk where concerns of veterans regarding pensions, IDs and re-validation were processed.

“The re-validation of  veterans and their dependents is crucial para hindi maputol ang pension nila,” Ibarra added.

The beneficiaries were grateful for the program.

“Maraming services, nakakuha ako ng gamot ko sa maintenance,  dati pumupunta pa ako sa Maynila. Dito nilapit na,  libre pa ang pagkain,” Romeo Pascua, 65, from San Nicolas town said.

“Marakep yan ginawa da (Maganda itong ginawa nila). Libre  ray tambal tan  akapan-ECG  kami ya libre met (Libre ang gamot at nakapag-ECG din kami ng libre),”  Macaria Navarro of Mangaldan and daughter of a veteran, also said.

The outreach program is in line with PVAO's objective to reduce the number of indigent veterans as underscored in its strategic blueprint, Kagitingan Roadmap 2022.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/411474279065/pangasinan-war-veterans-benefit-from-pvao-medical-outreach-program