PCSO-7 assures public: Medical aid given to deserving patients

After the arrest the other day of syndicate members masquerading as indigent families to solicit funds from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in Luzon, the regional office in Cebu assured the public that there is no similar anomaly here.

Regional director William Medici yesterday said that PCSO-7 has been giving financial assistance only to deserving patients or beneficiaries, and that there has not been any syndicate operating with such modus operandi here.

The PCSO-7 has a database containing the photos of all patients who asked for assistance under, either the Individual Medical Assistance Program or the Endowment Fund Program. "This has been my innovation," said Medici.

The money for medical aid is not given directly to the patient or relative because PCSO-7 deals directly with the hospital where the indigent patient is being treated, Medici said.

Every patient is allocated a maximum of P10,000 in total assistance for the year, and should the needed assistance exceeds this amount, then PCSO-7 would seek permission first from its central office, he said.

Medici said all PCSO offices nationwide have uniform requirements of documents.

These are: 1) Letter request to PCSO chairman or the general manager; 2) medical abstract; 3) bill or quotation or costing from hospital's pharmacy or supplies; 4) laboratory request and medicine prescription; and 5) endorsement or acceptance letter from hospital's social services or credit collection office.

The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group the other day arrested in Luzon at least seven syndicate members posing as indigent families and using fake documents to solicit charity funds from the PCSO there.

These suspects seemed to be in cahoots with some hospitals for the issuance of bogus medical abstracts, which they use to solicit financial aid from charity institutions.

The suspects were able to obtain P108,000 and P85,000 purportedly for chemotherapy expenses. - Ferliza C. Contratista/RAE