Cebu - Responding to the needs of the poor and the underprivileged, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla and Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on the release of a P1-million financial assistance to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
Revilla, who was in the city for the Sinulog celebration, said he gave a portion of his Priority Development Assistance Fund as health assistance for the indigent patients of the province in line with his “Kalusugan Ating Pangalagaan” program.
The donation came in the form of a certificate of allotment to be used in claiming the amount from the Department of Budget and Management.
“I want to help the indigent patients confined or those seeking medical assistance from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center because many of them may not be able to buy medicines,” the senator said.
The FREEMAN learned that many of the indigent patients coming from different municipalities and far-flung barangays of the province are always complaining because the doctors required them to shoulder the expenses for medicines.
Under the MOA, the provincial government is tasked to identify and recommend through a referral letter signed by Revilla the indigent patients deserving of help as well as the extent of the assistance of the hospital.
The indigent applicant will go to the Provincial Health Office and request for medical assistance by filing up a form. After that, it will be determined if the patient is entitled to the assistance before the provincial government issues a recommendation letter.
The referral letter shall indicate the amount the patient can avail of under the program.
Medical assistance for in-patients and emergency patients may include medicines, laboratory tests, thyroid scan, T3, T4, dialysis, ECG, X-ray, cobalt, and other medical and laboratory procedures as may be recommended by the attending physician.
According to the MOA, if the medicines are not available at the pharmacy or are purchased from other drugstores outside of the hospital, such will be charged to the appropriations.
It is also stipulated that no professional fees will be charged to the funds.
Further, the P1-million donation will be deposited to the account of the hospital immediately before any patient is referred and admitted under the program.
Dr. Gerardo Aquino, the medical center chief, was also present during the MOA signing.
Meanwhile, Revilla told The FREEMAN that aside from the P1 million, he also pledged another P10 million for various projects that could benefit the Cebuanos.
Revilla told the governor that it is up to her to identify these projects she wishes to be funded by the P10-million pledge. — Rene U. Borromeo and Garry B. Lao/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)