Being one with the global community

2015 proved to be a pivotal year as the global community welcomed the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and participated vigorously during the COP21 in Paris. So many opportunities are now being presented to the business sector to prove that it can be a force for good. As a responsible corporate citizen, the Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH) readily took action in identifying where it can best contribute toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Philippines. By choosing to focus on three SDGs, the Corporate Social Responsibility office (CSR) of MDH will allow it to maximize its resources and make a long-term commitment with its partners.

SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Although MDH is a privately owned, tertiary hospital, it has for years created a mechanism that makes it possible for social service patients to access the rights-based delivery of world-class medical care through its various CSR health programs. One principle that rules our service provision for the economically disadvantaged patients is inclusivity. To achieve inclusivity, MDH fully embraced the concept of universal health care. An MDH CSR strategy was to take the necessary steps in harmonizing resources from partners: Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) (national health insurance program); Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (majority owner of Manila Doctors Hospital); and the Philippine Charity Office (PCSO) (principal government agency that raises and provides funds for health programs and medical assistance). By doing so, we are able to focus on providing not just quality healthcare but protection against the financial risk of high out-of-pocket health spending.

Another MDH CSR strategy is the community-based issuance of the MDH blue card to economically disadvantaged patients and dependents who qualify. The MDH blue card allows patients who need medical consultation to access service for only one hundred pesos (PHP 100), which is equivalent to one US dollar. Blue-card holders are also entitled to access 143 laboratory procedures at a 50–70 to percent discounted rate. Should they need confinement, the MDH CSR Office under its in-patient program extends partial subsidies from funds provided to MDH CSR by the Metrobank Foundation. The rest of the medical bills are covered by PhilHealth, PCSO, and contributions from the patient. The generated earnings from the CSR Health Programs are used to sustain the operations of the MDH CSR Clinic, where seven of the MDH medical departments provide medical consultations from Monday to Saturday for social service patients.

In 2015 alone, 17,501 blue-card holders benefited from the services of the following medical departments: Family and Community Medicine, Paediatrics, Otorhinolaryngology, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ophthalmology, and General Surgery. There were 4,684 who made use of the various laboratory procedures at a discounted rate, whereas 1,071 needed confinement and benefited from the support of our partners in covering the healthcare costs.

SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

2015 saw the launch of Men Caring for Women (MCW), spearheaded by the male officers of the Manila Doctors Hospital and led by the Hospital Director himself. MCW is an advocacy and resource-generation campaign in support of the fight against cervical cancer, violence against women and children (VAWC), and human trafficking. The proceeds from the first fundraising activity enabled MDH CSR and its partners to support the initial series of capacity-building trainings of volunteer lawyers, court social workers, and frontliners. Experts volunteered their time to train the participants on how to prosecute child abuse cases, new developments on children’s laws (both local and international), prosecuting child online sexual exploitation, and the importance of forensic pathology in criminal prosecution of VAWC cases.

Consistent with the MCW campaign, a number of steps were also undertaken to ensure that gender equality is observed internally, starting with the comprehensive orientation / seminar on anti-sexual harassment in the workplace for officers. The zero-tolerance policy inside the hospital strongly reiterates that officers are expected not only to behave properly toward subordinates but also protect them from those who might attempt to subject them to abusive behavior or unfair treatment. The open-door policy of management is just but one of the accessible tools for reporting a possible case. This is just one part of a series of capacity-building steps that will also cover the MDH non-supervisory staff. Both MDH CSR and the MDH Human Resource Division, with support from the Senior Management Team, recognizes that all genders have the right to a safe and supportive workplace in order to pursue professional development, which in turn can benefit the business as a whole.

SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Green Rebellion (Generating Resources & Engagement for Environment and Nature) started as a small CSR program that sought to preserve and revitalize the last forest park in the City of Manila – the historical Arroceros Forest Park – and at the same time create clean and green spaces in the hospital’s adopted community and school. Now other corporations have joined the safest “Rebellion” by adopting their chosen zone inside the forest park as part of their own “Green CSR.” Adopting a zone entails not just financial resources but volunteer hours and creativity. In the MDH-adopted public school (Rafael Palma Elementary School, Manila), vertical urban gardens are being developed to help create a healthier environment for learning. In the adopted community (Barangay 662), recyclable materials are being utilized in producing products for the mainstream market. This not only helps the recycling program of the community but is also proving to be a source of income for community members.

Forging ahead

The recognition from the Asian Hospital Management Awards in 2015 for our CSR programs serves as a reminder to remain steadfast in heightening the consciousness and participation of the public in targeted health and environment issues in the global community.