SM FOUNDATION TURNS OVER SUPER HEALTH CENTER FOR MANILEÑOS

SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) turns over on December 17 its gift for Manila residents — the newly-renovated TondoForeshore Super Health Center and Lying-in Clinic.

This serves as the 171st Wellness Center of SM Foundation and the first “super health center” in Manila with a one-stop shop polyclinic that provides: medical consultations, dental services, elderly and PWD care, diabetes and hypertension clinic, immunization, prenatal and post-partum care, adolescent care, IDOTS Clinic (attending to drug susceptible TB), RTDL (or Rapid TB diagnostic laboratories) and a 24/7 lying-in clinic.

The additional services available in the center are the specialty clinics, an upgraded diagnostics and laboratory services, improved pharmacy, women’s wellness center and treatment hub for HIV patients.

Moreover, the SMFI included the following new features: adolescent counselling area; elderly lounge, mobile play cabinet for children, breastfeeding station, mother-baby friendly ward, specialty clinic, triage area, records room, reception area and comfort stations.

This two-story health center, which caters to a population of 45,200 individuals, is located near SM City Manila and SM City San Lazaro.

SM Foundation helps empower the Health Centers ability to transition to the new normal by renovating and re-furbishing the facility and strengthening its capacity to provide health services, especially during this pandemic.

To sustain the project, SM Foundation teamed up with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) to conduct health related training programs to capacitate and empower the community health workers of Manila in their delivery of health services. In addition, SMFI was also able to engage Boysen (through PBSP), by donating paints that contributed in the beautification of the façade of the Super Health Center.

SMFI also ensures the safety of both patients and frontliners by classifying its areas using a color-coded zoning markers and by installing acrylic barriers to augment the safety features of areas where face-to-face assessment or consultations are conducted.

The “zoning” will be used to segregate the most vulnerable areas from safe zones inside the Health Center namely: Red Zone for the most infectious area; Green Zone for transition area, and Blue Zone for the safe areas.

SM Foundation, through its Health and Wellness Program, intends to provide grassroot communities with free and quality healthcare by upgrading public health centers located in SM host communities – complemented by its medical caravans across the country.