General Santos City | St. Elizabeth Hospital has reached another significant milestone in its cardiac care program with the successful completion of its first pediatric open-heart surgery under the PhilHealth Z Benefit Package for Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), giving six-year-old Cristila Talino a new opportunity for a healthier future.
The procedure was made possible through the coordinated efforts of a multidisciplinary cardiac team led by Dr. Edwin Valencia, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon; Dr. Ralph Philip Anislag, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Anesthesiologist; and Dr. Denise Ruth Ruiz, Pediatric Cardiologist, together with nurses, operating room personnel, critical care teams, and other healthcare professionals who worked closely throughout the child’s treatment and recovery.
What is a ventricular septal defect (VSD)?
At the center of this milestone is a six-year-old child diagnosed with Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), a congenital heart condition involving an opening between the heart’s lower chambers.
For a child and family facing the possibility of open-heart surgery, the journey can be filled with uncertainty. But access to specialized care and financial support can help make the path forward more manageable.
How PhilHealth’s Z Benefit helps families
For this young patient, that support included the PhilHealth Z Benefits Package for VSD, which provides financial coverage for qualified patients undergoing surgical treatment for the condition, subject to PhilHealth’s eligibility and package requirements.
The current VSD Z Benefit provides ₱498,000 for VSD closure with or without associated special conditions, while VSD closure with severe pulmonary stenosis is covered at ₱614,000. The package covers qualified pediatric patients up to 18 years and 364 days old.
Other help: DSWD and DOH-MAIFIP
Beyond PhilHealth, government programs such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (DOH-MAIFIP) can also provide additional financial assistance to qualified families, helping lessen the burden of medical expenses.
Mr. Antonio G. Veneracion, Chief Executive Officer of St. Elizabeth Hospital, shared:
“For a child and family going through something as difficult as heart surgery, every form of support matters. We are grateful for programs such as PhilHealth’s Z Benefits, as well as the assistance that families may receive through DSWD and DOH-MAIFIP. These programs remind us that families do not have to face the financial burden of complex medical care alone.
More than a hospital milestone, this is about giving a child the opportunity to grow, dream, play, and enjoy the years ahead. We are grateful to everyone who helped make that possible for Cristila and her family.”
Specialized cardiac care closer to home
For families, programs such as these can help reduce financial barriers to complex medical treatment. More importantly, when specialized services are available closer to home, families in Mindanao may have greater opportunities to access the care their children need without having to travel farther from their communities.
That is what makes this milestone particularly meaningful.
The successful procedure represents not only a first for St. Elizabeth Hospital’s pediatric cardiac services, but also another step toward expanding access to specialized cardiac care within Mindanao.
For Cristila, however, it is simply a chance to look ahead. A chance for more days to play, more moments with family, more dreams to pursue, and more memories to make.
A milestone for pediatric cardiac care.
A new chapter for one little heart.
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