17 Aug Emergency Drug for Stroke Available for Free in Northern Mindanao Medical Center Here in CDO!
On Tuesday, August 16, the Department of Health (DOH) announced that the emergency drug for stroke medication called alteplase will be available to the public for free in 26 government hospitals nationwide, including one Hospital here in Cagayan de Oro City, which is the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC).
The Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said that the government hospitals have tied up with the private hospitals to provide these vials for free to poor patients.
The vials are originally priced at P80,000 per vial, but due to the government’s initiative, they have purchased it for only P30,000 and will be given for free to those who will suffer an acute stroke.
Ubial said, “Alteplase is truly a life-saving drug, and every stroke patient eligible to receive it, should have access to it. It is not acceptable that a patient who cannot shelve out P80,000 will be deprived of this emergency medicine at a time when this is needed the most.”
This drug must be applied in the first 3 hours upon the attack of the stroke.
Here is the complete list of the 26 government hospitals that will be provided by this emergency drug against stroke:
Metro Manila
- East Avenue Medical Center
- Philippine Heart Center
- Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center
- National Kidney and Transplant Institute
- Quirino Memorial Medical Center
- Las Piñas General Hospital & Satellite Trauma Center
- Philippine General Hospital
Luzon
- Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center
- Mariano Marcos Memorial Medical Center
- Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center
- Cagayan Valley Medical Center
- Southern Isabela General Hospital
- Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital
- Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research & Medical Center
- Batangas Medical Center
- Bicol Regional Training & Teaching Hospital
- Bicol Medical Center
Visayas
- Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital
- Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital
- Western Visayas Medical Center
- Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center
Mindanao
- Zamboanga City Medical Center
- Cotabato Regional and Medical Center
- Northern Mindanao Medical Center
- Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. Regional & Teaching Hospital
- Southern Philippines Medical Center
The basis of the distribution of the vials is based on the Hospital’s capacity to use the vials. These hospitals have acute stroke units that can aid the use of these vials.
But despite the free offer by the government, Ubial warned the doctors, he said, “It is very important that the attending doctor distinguishes the type of stroke, whether ischemic or haemorrhagic, as alteplase will just worsen the stroke if given to those with the haemorrhagic type since this will just promote more bleeding in the brain.”
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