The Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH) successfully performed its first Pediatric Balloon Atrial Septostomy on a 48-day-old infant from Mexico, Pampanga, on July 30, 2026. The life-saving procedure was provided under a Zero Balance Billing arrangement, ensuring no out-of-pocket hospital charges for the family. The milestone highlights JBLMGH's continuing efforts to strengthen pediatric cardiac services through expertise, teamwork, and compassionate, patient-centered care.
A Critical Procedure for a Rare Heart Condition
The infant was diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) , a rare and serious congenital heart defect present at birth where the two main arteries leaving the heart—the aorta and the pulmonary artery—are switched . In TGA, oxygen-poor blood from the right side of the heart is pumped back to the body through the aorta, while oxygen-rich blood from the lungs is pumped back to the lungs. Without treatment, this condition is life-threatening as the body does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood .
The Pediatric Balloon Atrial Septostomy, also known as the Rashkind procedure, is an emergency palliative procedure used to improve oxygenation in newborns with TGA while they await definitive corrective heart surgery . A balloon-tipped catheter is guided into the heart and inflated to enlarge the opening between the heart's upper chambers, allowing oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood to mix and improve oxygen levels.
A Skilled Medical Team
The procedure was performed by Dr. Paul Anthony Tan as Lead Interventional Cardiologist, with support from Dr. Mary Ann M. Gozun-Bayani and Dr. Eunnyce Abigail P. Salunga as cardiologists. Anesthesia was provided by Dr. Jeff Jesson Romero. Dr. Tan is a board-certified pediatric cardiologist with 23 years of experience, who completed his training at the Philippine Children's Medical Center in 2006 and the Philippine Heart Center in 2011 . He holds fellowships from both the Philippine Pediatric Society and the Philippine College of Cardiology.
Zero Balance Billing: A Commitment to Accessible Healthcare
The provision of this procedure under Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) ensures that indigent and financially vulnerable patients can receive life-saving treatments without shouldering out-of-pocket costs. Under the ZBB policy, qualified patients admitted to basic or ward accommodations are discharged with no outstanding charges, with all hospital costs covered by PhilHealth and government fund sources . This policy, announced by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his State of the Nation Address in July 2025, has already benefited over one million patients in DOH hospitals . JBLMGH, a Level III tertiary hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga, serves as a premier regional multi-specialty center for Central Luzon .
