Get checked and be ready for the COVID-19 vaccine, says TMC Clark head

Learn more about the COVID-19 that the Pampanga provincial government will be acquiring and get yourself checked.

This was the advice given by Dr. Almario G. Jabson, President and CEO of The Medical City Clark, to members of the media during the hospital’s yearly media appreciation activity at the recently opened Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort. 

In his message, Dr. Jabson noted that 2020 was a difficult year not only for TMC Clark but for the entire world. The COVID-19 pandemic led to many deaths, months of lockdown, the closure of many businesses, and joblessness. 

“In spite of this pandemic, I am happy to report that we at The Medical City Clark were able to retain all our personnel. We did not retrench anyone and we even managed to register a modest growth in revenues,” Dr. Jabson reported. “TMC Clark was also ISO certified last year and we even managed to get a branding and marketing award at the Asian Hospital Management Awards” 

Last year, TMC Clark was granted ISO 9001:2015 certification. ISO 9001:2015 is the world’s most widely recognized quality standard. This standard and certification were selected specifically to validate TMC Clark’s commitment to delivering quality healthcare to ensure customer satisfaction. A few weeks later, TMC Clark won the Gold Award in the Branding and Marketing Campaign category of the 2020 Asian Hospital Management Awards for its “A Safe Zone for All Patients” Campaign.

To address the needs of patients who required medical attention but did not want to come to the hospital, TMC Clark came up with the so-called New Normal Services. These services include a One-Stop Shop Outpatient Complex where a patient can have Laboratory, X-Ray, Family Medicine/Primary Care Consultations, Doctor’s requests, Medical Certificate Requests, and a Cashier Express Hub all in one safe zone.

If the patient does not want to visit the hospital, we will bring the hospital to them through TMC Clark on Wheels. TMC Clark on Wheels provides ready access to safe and accurate laboratory and diagnostic services in the comfort of your own home. If patients needed to consult a doctor, they could do so through Telemedicine.

At the Ambulatory Surgical Center, TMC Clark launched an 11-chair dialysis unit to cater to patients who wanted to have their dialysis done outside of the hospital setting. Another recent acquisition was the Fibroscan, an ultrasound machine that checks on the status of a patient’s liver. 

“You can expect TMC Clark to introduce more new services this year like the Molecular Laboratory, Nuclear Medicine Department, the expansion of the 5h floor of the hospital for the Wellness Center and the expansion of the Hemodialysis Unit,” he added.

However, Dr. Jabson noted that there are still a lot of people who are afraid to go to the hospital because of the fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus. 

“There is a challenge we are still facing this year and that is to get people to take charge of their health once more and to get themselves checked,” he said.  “I would like to assure you all, and I hope you help us spread the news, that the hospital is probably the safest place to be in.”

He explained that TMC Clark had adopted a “One Hospital, Two System Strategy” where there are separate teams handling COVID-19 and non-COVID cases. The hospital is divided into different zones and COVID-19 patients are admitted in a different zone. 

“It is also important that you are aware of the state of your health so that you will be ready for the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine. Many are hesitant to have themselves vaccinated because these vaccines were developed in record time. However, getting vaccinated will benefit you more. We have to vaccinate at least 80 percent of the total population so that we will be able to achieve herd immunity against the COVID-19 virus,” he said.

He added that the time to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines is now and that it is important to get vaccinated. 

“Let’s use this time to learn more about the vaccines that Pampanga will be getting. I would like to call on each and every one of you to help spread the word. Get vaccinated so that we can fight COVID-19 together,” he said