Metro Manila hospitals offer free mental health aid

Zion Mhar Kaezer Corpuz

Medicines for mental health conditions are available free of charge in certain hospitals and health facilities in Metro Manila, the Department of Health (DOH) announced on June 12, 2025.

This initiative is part of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Medicine Access Program for Mental Health (MAP-MH), a program launched in 2012, aimed at making mental health medicine accessible to the public.

Health institutions like Metro Manila Center for Health Development (MMCHD), Philippine General Hospital, and Jose R. Reyes Memorial Hospital are among the 207 established access sites for the said program.

“Mental Health is a priority! Kaya sagot ka ng Medicine Access Program for Mental Health,” DOH – MMCHD posted on Facebook, highlighting its importance.

All individuals with updated prescriptions are eligible to subscribe to this program.

From March 2025, the available medicines in MMCHD are as follows: 150 mg Paliperidone Palmitate, 10 mg Escitalopram, 450 mg Lithium Carbonate, 200 mg Quetiapine, 2 mg Risperidone, and 100 mg Clozapine.

MMCHD urged interested individuals to send a copy of their prescription via [email protected] and wait for confirmation.

In 2021, over 39,000 service beneficiaries were listed as having benefited from the program.