Ensuring that Filipinos across the country in both rural and urban areas would have access to quality medical supplies and equipment is something that the Philippine government has been aiming to support for many years. According to the 2022 Global Medical Trends Survey, it is seen that healthcare benefit costs are expected to increase by 14.4 percent on average in the country this year alone, making it the third highest in the APAC region after India and Malaysia in 2022.
In addition to the challenge of high healthcare benefit costs, accessibility of medical supplies and the number of healthcare workers in the country have also put many rural hospitals at a disadvantage. In 2019, medicines and medical supplies in rural health centers ran out easily while the Philippine Institute of Development Studies revealed that about 75% of the total number of municipalities in the country have a low number of healthcare workers.
As the country navigates through the pandemic, medical supplies and equipment shop Medical Depot has led several initiatives to help the local community and ensure that quality medical equipment and supplies are made more accessible.
“We have always made it a priority to ensure that we establish a presence in the most strategic areas in the country so we are able to help our fellow Filipinos receive the healthcare they need backed by quality and reliable medical supplies we provide,” shares Medical Depot Chairman Rudy Medina .
Extending a Helping Hand
Inspired by its roots and legacy in Bambang, Sta. Cruz, Manila where Medical Depot was first established, the company has utilized various measures to help local communities. Through the local program “Wish Ko Lang,” Medical Depot was able to help an elderly woman who has experienced abuse most of her life by giving her medical supplies, including a wheelchair, to help her in her everyday life.
Meanwhile, days after Typhoon Odette hit the Philippines in December 2021, a huge part of Siargao province was affected and destroyed. Many locals lost their homes and livelihoods and experienced scarcity in food resources. Medical Depot took it upon themselves to lend a helping hand, providing the Siargao community with medical equipment and water filtration alongside with medicines & vitamins, rice & canned goods, food, and other relief items to help locals get through the devastation brought by the typhoon.
Reinforcing the need for accessible and affordable medical supplies
There are many rural and urban areas in the country that are in need of accessible and affordable medical supplies and equipment.
“The increasing rate of poverty in the country makes it much more imminent that medical shops like us make it a priority to ensure supplies and equipment are made much more accessible to many Filipinos across various communities in the country. While the government is doing its best to help, it is our duty as corporate citizens to do our part for the future of the community,” mentions Baby Medina, Medical Depot Vice Chairman.
This pressing need for accessible and affordable healthcare supplies has further pushed Medical Depot to truly commit to its long-term goal of ensuring many Filipinos have access to affordable, quality, and reliable medical supplies and equipment.
Since its humble beginning in 1991 with one branch located in Bambang, Manila, the company’s continued aggressive expansion has brought its total number of branches from 24 stores in 2021 to 43 stores year-to-date to reach more people in need. From new branches in Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Metro Manila, and with plans to open a hub in the Mindanao region, Medical Depot solidifies its stand to help with the medical supply needs of the.