Baguio: The Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) has inaugurated its first adolescent-friendly facility to offer specialized care for patients aged 10 to 19 with acute and chronic illnesses, including those transitioning to adult health care.
According to Philippines News Agency, Dr. Avegail Cardinal, an adolescent medicine specialist at BGHMC, highlighted the growing demand for services catered to adolescents during a press conference. The hospital has observed an increasing number of patients with chronic illnesses related to the heart and kidneys, those undergoing dialysis, patients with diabetes, and those with psychosocial and mental health concerns.
The newly opened Department of Health-accredited Level 3 adolescent-friendly facility provides comprehensive, accessible, and age-appropriate services tailored to address the distinct health needs of adolescents. It is the first transition care clinic in Northern Luzon and outside Metro Manila.
Cardinal noted that teenagers constitute about 20 percent of the hospital's patient population. Findings from the Young Adult Fertility Survey revealed that numerous adolescents face mental health issues, sexual abuse, violence, and substance use. The center operates independently from other hospital units and offers adolescent medicine, general pediatrics, a teen-parent clinic, and transition care.
The transition program is designed to prepare patients nearing adulthood to seamlessly move into adult health services, thereby preventing them from discontinuing treatment. Cardinal shared instances of patients treated for diabetes mellitus as children who stopped consulting doctors upon reaching adulthood, only to return with complications like chronic kidney disease due to uncontrolled diabetes.
The facility treats an average of 15 to 20 adolescent patients daily, with numbers steadily rising as it caters to patients from across the Cordillera region. This trend underscores the necessity for an adolescent-friendly facility. The program is further supported by school- and community-based initiatives and includes parenting modules to bridge generational gaps between parents and their children.
Additionally, the clinic aims to address suicide risk and teenage pregnancy, often linked to mental health problems and social isolation. Cardinal emphasized the importance of treating both physical and mental health concerns to prevent them from becoming more challenging to manage.
