The City Government of Manila successfully performed its first-ever angiogram procedure for free, a milestone for the local government’s push to expand free public healthcare services.
Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso said the procedure was conducted at around 1:00 p.m. on September 15 at the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory of the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center.
The mayor thanked the Cath Lab team led by OIC-City Health Officer Dr. Grace Padilla.
“Salamat sa Diyos,” Domagoso wrote as he credited the interventional cardiologists and medical staff who carried out the procedure.
The medical team was composed of Dr. Camilo Oliver Aquino, Dr. Wilfred Dee, Dr. Ian Bagauisan, Dr. Perry Jun Prieto, Dr. Jeremias Balgua Jr., and Dr. Oliver Nelson Zane.
They were assisted by Cath Lab staff members Veronica Imbag, Ruben Mendoza, Christian Macansantos, Ricky Matic, Crisel Nicolas, and Joannette de Vera.
The angiogram marked the first time the Manila local government unit provided the advanced cardiovascular test to residents at no cost.
In private hospitals, the procedure costs at least ₱58,000, while follow-up interventions such as angioplasty can reach over ₱300,000.
In private hospitals, the procedure costs at least ₱58,000, while follow-up interventions such as angioplasty can reach over ₱300,000.
The successful procedure came a week after Domagoso formally inaugurated the city’s first Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab) at the Ospital ng Maynila on September 8.
Licensed by the Department of Health (DOH) last January 7, the laboratory houses advanced imaging equipment designed to diagnose and treat heart disease without the need for open surgery.
“The facility will gradually roll out more services, including angioplasty, to benefit residents suffering from cardiovascular illnesses.”
Domagoso said the facility will gradually roll out more services, including angioplasty, to benefit residents suffering from cardiovascular illnesses.
He noted that the Cath Lab is part of a the city’s healthcare strategy that also includes building the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila’s Academic Building for Health Sciences, which aims to produce up to 5,000 graduates in medicine and allied health fields.
“Rest assured, despite lack of resources, we will continue to support our doctors and nurses with the facilities they need,” Domagoso concluded.
