WHAT IS FAMILY MEDICINE?

Family Medicine can be described as "HOLISTIC". It is a specialty which knows no bounds -- it treats all ages, all systems of the body, all diseases present in a person, and of course all members of the family within a community.

The specialtry itself is composed of well-trained physicians who are not "merely clinicians" but who are also researchers, managers, social mobilizers, and educators, which make them "5-Star Family Physicians".

The Department of Family and Community Medicine of the Zamboanga City Medical Center is passionate and committed in the training and molding of the future Family Physicians, who are fully equipped to serve every person in the community.

Health is a fundamental right of every person. It is not a privilege only for those who could afford the health care services. In reality, this is a challenge for a country llike Philippines with a 18.1% of the population below the poverty threshold (PSA, 2022(. That;s about 20 million individuals! As hard it may seem, we should start somewhere and take the first step for a change.

Finally, in February 2019, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed the Universal Health Care Bill into law, which is known as the Republic Act 11223. The core of this is law is the planned system change of the health care in the country into "primary care".

Primary Health Care enables health systems to support a person's health needs -- from health promotion to disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, palliative care and more. It is also key to strengthening the resilience of health systems to prepare for, respond to and who recover from shocks and crises (WHO).

The Family Physicians are united an in full support for the success of new law.