About 3,200 individuals from various sectors joined the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) “Para Malayo sa Sakit” run in this highly urbanized city Sunday.

The event drew participants in the 2.5-kilometer and 5-km run, kicking off at the provincial capitol grounds going to Lacson Street and back to the starting point.

“The YAKAP Run is more than just a run, it represents our shared commitment toward wellness, solidarity and service,” PhilHealth Bacolod head Edgar Yocariza said in his message.

YAKAP is PhilHealth’s enhanced primary care benefit package that focuses on preventive and promotive healthcare, and now includes GAMOT (Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment).

It provides services, including consultations, laboratory and diagnostic tests, and 75 essential medicines through YAKAP-accredited clinics and GAMOT providers.

Data showed that in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental, PhilHealth has accredited 237 YAKAP clinics, 177 GAMOT providers, and 188 facilities for cancer screening tests.

The Bacolod PhilHealth YAKAP Run was supported by YAKAP providers, including Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, Medisense Laboratory Inc., and Senior Care Diagnostic Clinic, which conducted first patient encounter (FPE) sessions for some of the participants.

The FPE is the required initial health assessment and data collection with an accredited YAKAP provider for beneficiaries to access primary care consultations, laboratory tests, and maintenance medicines.

In a video message, Department of Health Undersecretary Mary Ann Maestral said the PhilHealth YAKAP Run is an opportunity to remind Negrenses that staying healthy begins with what a person does every day and that there are now primary services and benefits available to them.

“The real goal is for every Negrense to use these benefits to live healthier and seek care earlier,” she added. (PNA)