DOH to open first mall based clinic

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

THE Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) 6 will open its first mall-based clinic at Robinsons Place Iloilo in City Proper, Iloilo City on May 28, 2019.

The project is part of the health department’s commitment to ensure access to health care.

Joseh Carlo Carillo, Nurse V of DOH-CHD-6, said the mall-based clinic is the first in the country.

According to Carillo, the facility is part of their non-traditional initiative that will ensure that clients have access to the health services.

“This is non-tradition, indi siya health center and indi man siya hospital but it is a mall-based clinic that would ensure that clients are provided with services at their most convenient time,” Carillo said.

Carillo said the facility will not bear the word “clinic” as the word creates barrier to health access.

“We all know, that we Filipinos, only go to the health facilities when we are sick. We want to change that idea. With this facility, we hope to provide promotive (sic) and preventive health care,” he said.

Instead of a clinic, the facility would be termed, as “know Tell” which can mean that the facility would ensure health information sharing (or “what you KNOW you TELL”) while keeping private information confidential (or “No Tell”).

 “Whatever they learn from the clinic, we hope that they could share to others. But, at the same time, no one is compromised because whatever you hear from the facility, privacy and confidentiality must be strictly observed,” Carillo explained.

While the mall-based clinic is open to all ages, Carillo said the facility is primarily targeting the adolescents.

“We are targeting young people because as we all know there are rising cases of teenage pregnancy and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases. Since, it is a shopping mall we want the teenagers to just drop by on the clinic and feel comfortable to get tested or to have their check-ups,” he said.

Two years ago, adolescent pregnancy accounted for 16 percent of total pregnancies in the region, way above the acceptable standard of 4 percent.

The mall-based facility is open from Monday to Friday (10 p.m. to 9 p.m.) and weekends (9 a.m. and 10 p.m.). It will offer free services such as pregnancy testing, pre-natal check-up (to include physical check-up, vitamins, and pregnancy counseling), family planning services (short or long acting FP commodities), HIV screening, counselling and testing.

Other services include psychosocial risk assessment counselling (to include psychometrician services and referral), brief advice (counselling on tobacco, alcohol, and drugs) and screening, counselling and referral for chest x-ray.

The facility will be located in the 3^rd floor of the Robinsons Mall beside Fun Time.

“It looks like a lounge because that is the concept, tambayan. Adolescent peer educators would be the one manning this facility aside from the full medical staff. Nakita namon it is near fun time so kung gusto mag-drop by sang teens, it’s easy access for them,” he said.

The mall is also an ideal location for the health care facility since 20 schools are located within the two-kilometer radius of the mall.