by Ma. Teresa Montemayor
MANILA – About 1,440 students and 360 personnel of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) main campus will receive primary and specialty health screenings under the school-based YAKAP program, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.
The Quezon City campus is the first school to receive the DOH and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) program, which connects students and personnel to specialty health providers through their YAKAP clinics.
Students will undergo screening for mental health, vision, dental, and nutrition concerns, while teachers and other personnel will be screened for cancer and tuberculosis.
Those found with health concerns will be referred to specialists through a network of PhilHealth-accredited providers, allowing patients to receive continued care from screening and diagnosis through treatment.
“YAKAP sa Pisay is not a one-time medical mission. It is not just a ceremony and a photo op. Health will become part of everyday life in Pisay, like a quiz or a laboratory report,” DOH Secretary Edwin Mercado said during the program launch.
The school-based setup is expected to particularly benefit scholars living in dormitories away from their families by providing access to primary care without requiring them to travel off campus.
The program supports the Universal Health Care Act and the Unified National Agenda for Health, which identify schools as priority settings for coordinated health interventions.
The launch brought together the Department of Science and Technology, DOH hospitals, PhilHealth, PSHS, the Quezon City government, and YAKAP Clinics selected by the Pisay community.
Mercado urged students and teachers to provide feedback on the program to help refine it before its planned expansion to other PSHS campuses and Department of Education schools nationwide.
