“Our mission in Taguig has always been to provide equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare for all.”
— Mayor Lani L. Cayetano
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TAGUIG CITY — The City of Taguig entered into two major agreements with key partners on Friday, August 16, 2024, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, this city.
Objectives of the agreements include to enhance healthcare accessibility and improve programs for the health of mothers and children in the City.
The first initiative, led by CareSpan Asia, Inc., in partnership with Temasek Foundation, is a pilot program that brings together multiple stakeholders in a Public-Private-Philanthropic Partnership (PPPP) to onboard 350,000 underserved citizens in city. Under this partnership, CareSpan will provide Taguig City with access to its advanced Digital Health care platform.
This platform, which is composed of an electronic medical records (EMR) system and telemedicine capabilities, will be integrated into Taguig’s local healthcare program to ensure that target beneficiaries have access to quality medical services.
Singapore’s Temasek Foundation supports this initiative with a funding of S$2.12 million to ensure the program’s sustainability and potential scalability to other localities.
For its part, the City of Taguig will train volunteers and health workers to engage low-income communities, promoting greater health awareness and encouraging enrollment in UHC.
Taguig Mayor Mariq Laarni “Lani” L. Cayetano emphasized the importance of this partnership in fulfilling the city’s mandate to provide equitable healthcare access to all its citizens.
“Our mission in Taguig has always been to provide equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare for all. We have pioneered programs in the country by offering comprehensive care, including nutrition, wellness, and various medical services, bringing healthcare closer to our community — sometimes even directly to their doorsteps,” the lady mayor emphasized.
CareSpan Founder and Chairman Nonoy Colayco emphasized the platform’s role in supporting the Universal Health Care (UHC) initiative by enabling more efficient and accessible healthcare delivery across the city.
“CareSpan is dedicated to transforming healthcare for the underserved with the goal of ending health poverty through technology by providing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems and eClaims, to make healthcare more accessible and affordable. We empower health facilities by unlocking financial resources through PhilHealth Konsulta claims ensuring that even the most vulnerable communities receive the care they deserve,” he said.
Focusing on health indicators, infrastructure planning, and capacity building
Kee Kirk Chuen, Head, Health & Well-being, Temasek Foundation, highlighted the long and thriving relationship it has with the Philippines.
“Our first programme was right here in the Philippines, which was to train primary and secondary school principals and teachers in educational leadership and teaching in Metro Manila. Together, over the next 17 years, we implemented more than 30 programmes in education, health, public administration, disaster preparedness and response.”
“The foundation will provide catalytic funding for these two new innovative programmes to offer proof of concept, with the aim of having them scaled by the government or private capital to benefit more Filipinos,” he added.
In a parallel initiative to improve maternal and child health, the SingHealth Duke-NUS Maternal and Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI), led by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) Singapore, has partnered with Taguig City to enhance maternal and child health services.
“We are also excited to work with Temasek Foundation and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital to learn, innovate, and develop together. This collaboration will not only enhance our capacity to deliver quality healthcare but also help us adopt best practices and innovative solutions that have been successful in Singapore,” Mayor Lani said.
The partnership will focus on improving key health indicators, infrastructure planning, and capacity building in Taguig’s maternal and child health facilities.
It will include training and academic exchanges, development of health programs, and joint scientific activities. A team of experts from KKH and MCHRI has already begun their visit to Taguig City on Thursday, August 15, engaging in a symposium on maternal and child health and assessing local facilities. (/)