HIV care in Talisay City

People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or those suspected of having it, especially those from Talisay City, will no longer need to go far just to have themselves treated or tested.

The Department of Health (DOH) designated the Talisay City Health Office as a Primary HIV Care Facility and the Talisay District Hospital as an HIV Treatment Hub last January. After being accredited by DOH, the TCHO and TDH will be able to accept patients with HIV and can provide screening and medication for free.

Dr. Rey Cesar Bautista, TCHO Aftercare program coordinator, said that they will be able to start receiving patients who want to be treated for HIV.

“Dako kaayo ni siya ug implication kay dili na sila mulakaw pa ug layo para magpatambal (This has a big implication since patients don’t have to go elsewhere to be treated),” Bautista said.

Aside from free medicines, another perk that TCHO receives after being upgraded as a primary HIV care facility is they can enroll HIV-affected persons before the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth).

HIV-positive patients can avail themselves of Philhealth’s Outpatient HIV/AIDS Treatment (OHAT) package.

But Bautista said that even before they were given the official designation from DOH, they have been providing free medication to HIV affected persons in Talisay City.

Before, Talisay City can only refer suspected HIV cases to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for screening and testing.

Since 1984, around 95 people from Talisay City have been tested positive for HIV.

Since they started operating as a satellite treatment facility back in 2015, they often receive six to seven patients per day. /