To address healthcare inequities and ever-changing public health demands, the attainability of medical equipment is necessary.

World Health Organization specified that access to high-quality, fairly priced, and appropriate healthcare products are critical – for universal health coverage, medical emergencies, and promoting healthier populations.

With this global concern, go-to medical shops exist to help communities around the world. These are retail shops offering a wide array of healthcare products, medical equipment, and supplies. Below are three vital purposes why there is a need to have a go-to medical shop.

Bridging the Medical Equipment Accessibility Gap and Demand

Amid the pandemic, a significant problem the world faces are the inaccessibility and shortage of healthcare product needs.

This issue will expect to rise in the next five years as “the medical devices market in the Philippines is currently in Growth Stage, with an increase in number of hospitals, high prevalence of chronic diseases, rising instances of heart and kidney failures…” (Ken Research, 2022) which means medical equipment is not only critical to modern healthcare today but will be even more critical in the future.

Medical Depot, a long-time medical supplier and among the reliable go-to medical shops in the Philippines, contributes to bridging this healthcare accessibility gap and consumer demand in many parts of the country by aggressively expanding its touchpoints to reach hundreds of thousands of Filipinos with a wide variety of medical needs from pharmaceutical, medical supplies, COVID-19 related products to hospital equipment that other prominent players in the medical industry do not offer.

Access to High Quality and Affordable Medicines

With the health and lives of millions at stake, the medical industry continues to evolve with innovations and products fit for the community. Having go-to medical shops in the country can ensure the public an access to high quality and affordable medicines, supplies, and equipment that can cater to their needs boost the health of the Filipinos.

“The end goal is for patients to receive the best available and affordable treatment for their illnesses.” (Harsono, Ng, 2018) With reliable and trusted medical shops available in the market today, there is more options for Filipinos to gain quality and affordable medicines that they need for everyday life.

Contributes to the Community

When enough medical supplies are accessible and near community medical facilities, it can address many of the community’s health concerns.

Through a go-to medical shop, local public and private clinics and hospitals can easily obtain affordable medical equipment that are needed to help them fulfill their healthcare and medical duties. Also, convenient reach and access of pharmaceutical products and medical equipment can boost community confidence in accepting healthcare treatments, which is foundational to improving healthcare outcomes (NRC Health, 2019).

While life may have slowed down during the pandemic, businesses have had to pivot fast to serve their customers.

This inspired Medical Depot in 2021 to pursue its e-commerce platform that help redesign the way they serve their customers and the local community. Easy access to online medical supplies, products, and equipment can help many Filipinos all over the country. To date, the company offers its solutions and products to the public through their e-commerce platform and 40 branches nationwide.

 To learn more about what they offer and the latest updates, visit the Medical Depot PH website or their Facebook page.

Pru Life UK has now made its health protection products accessible to more Filipino families through e-vouchers now available in Shopee.

The initiative is part of Pru Life UK’s drive towards the company’s goals to make health protection accessible to everyone, particularly to the financially underserved sectors of society. Shopee’s wide reach and high user base makes it an ideal platform that connects Filipinos to insurance products that fit their budget.

“Pru Life UK strongly believes that Filipinos from all walks of life should have easy access to life insurance products. Being on the Shopee platform aims to encourage everyone to protect themselves and those who matter to them with products at price points they can afford,” Pru Life UK President and Chief Executive Officer Eng Teng Wong said.

Shopee users can purchase e-vouchers for PRUDengue MedCare and PRUDengue MedCare Pro which are redeemable in Pulse, Pru Life UK’s health and wealth mobile app. Both of which are available in two different packages. PRUDengue MedCare Package A and B are priced at Php 200 and Php 300 respectively, while PRUDengue MedCare Package A and B are priced at Php 240 and Php 350. All Package A products offer six months of dengue coverage while all Package B products cover 12 months.

Both products offer a lump sum benefit of Php 10,000 for the life insured upon diagnosis of dengue. PRUDengue MedCare Pro, on the other hand, also provides a lump sum benefit of Php 100,000 if the life assured passes away due to dengue.

Dengue is a widespread infectious disease with 208,170 annual average number of cases in the country from 2010 to 2019¹. From January to June this year, there have been around 45,416 dengue cases reported in the Philippines². According to an article from The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene³, the average cost of a dengue treatment in the country is around Php 35,000 in private hospitals and around Php 17,000 in public hospitals.

“Offering insurance products at affordable prices is something we will always push for because we want to promote financial inclusion by offering protection coverage to all Filipinos and help everyone get the most out of life,” Wong added. The company will be adding other types of plans to cater to different protection and financial needs of Filipinos in the coming months.

Filipinos aged 18-59 are eligible to buy the product as the policyowner and they can also avail it for their kids who are aged 1-17. Overseas Filipino Workers may also buy the e-vouchers in Shopee and share with their loved ones in the Philippines. The policyowner and the life insured must be in the country at the time of the sale/redemption in Pulse.

To buy the product e-vouchers, go to the Shopee app and type “Pru Life UK” in the search box. On the Pru Life UK page, choose an e-voucher and pay. Pru Life UK will send an email with the e-voucher. Click the “Redeem Now” button from the email and redeem the e-voucher in Pulse’s PRUShoppe.

For more information about Pru Life UK’s offerings and products, visit www.prulifeuk.com.ph or their official Shopee store www.shopee.ph/prulifeukofficial.

Mariel Padilla is not just one of the loveliest faces in showbusiness. She is also a wife to Senator Robin Padilla and mom to two lovely girls. The actress, TV host, cooking enthusiast, influencer, brand ambassador and entrepreneur describes herself as ä hands on wife, mom and homemaker.”

On July 15, catch Mariel’s LazLive event at 6:30pm where she will talk about her favorites from Clorox, Glad, Pine-sol and Prestone and how they can make moms’ back-to-school preparations more seamless and hassle-free. Find out how you can get 20% off at The Clorox Company store on Lazmall (https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/the-clorox-company/?path=index.htm) from July 15-17.

“I would love to share what my must-haves are from Clorox, Glad and Pine-sol when it comes to cleaning and tidying up. Prestone, of course, is also important because it makes sure the car is in tip-top shape for hatid-sundo to and from school, I really trust Clorox, Glad, Prestone and Pine-sol to help me run our home more efficiently and to make sure my family is always happy and safe,” said Mariel, who disclosed that Clorox Disinfecting Wipes is one of her must-haves.

Mariel is very fastidious and meticulous when it comes to cleaning because she wants her family to always be healthy. Aside from the Clorox Expert Disinfecting Wipes, Mariel also likes the Prestone Disinfecting Car Wipes, which kills 99.9% of bacteria in your car; Pine-sol Multi-purpose Cleaner, which is best for cleaning floors; Clorox Clean-up Cleaner Spray, which is great for removing stubborn bathroom stains;  Glad Sandwich Bags, which are lunch box indispensables; and Glad Mini Cling Wrap, which help keep kids’baon fresh for a longer period of time.

The Clorox Company is the top five most trusted brands in the US and was named as the 2021 Safer Choice Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Clorox is made up of diverse brands, including Clorox, Glad, Prestone and Pine-sol , that have been sold in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years.

Make sure to tune in to Mariel Padilla’s LazLive on July 15 at 6:30pm to find out more about Clorox’s best products for hands-on moms who want to make sure their kids are ready for face-to-face school!

The promo is only applicable for online purchases from the official brand store in Lazada and not for on-site purchases. For more information, go to The Clorox Company on Lazmall and follow the brands’ Instagram accounts: @cloroxph, @prestoneph, and @gladkitchenph.