CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Social Welfare and Development, through Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabral yesterday entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) for the transfer of P250,000 endowment fund intended for the hospital’s indigent patients.
“The increasing number of clients seeking medical assistance recorded at the DSWD’s Crisis Intervention Unit ((CIU) shows that most number of families experienced difficulty meeting the expenses needed for medical treatment of a family member, thus the department initiated this tie up project with VSMMC,” said Cabrera.
The amount will cover the expenses for medical procedures and medicines of clients identified by the DSWD filed office 7, which are not included in the services provided by the hospital.
Dr. Gerardo Aquino, chief of hospital, signed the agreement on behalf of the VSMMC.
Under the agreement, the hospital shall provide medical services like out patient consultation or confinement, laboratory tests, electro cardiogram (ECG), all kinds of X-ray as well as CT Scan and MRI, ultrasound including 2D echo-cardiogram, electro-cardiogram (EEG), medicines and other medical and laboratory procedures available at the hospital.
Meanwhile, financial assistance for medical expenses not provided by the VSMMC not exceeding to P5,000 per “indigent patient” will be covered by the fund.
Jaybee Carillo of the DSWD explained that for the poor patients to avail of the program, he/she must present an updated medical abstract signed by the attending physician, which “should include” the physician’s license and PTR number, the patient’s name, diagnosis, and plan management; assessment of the local social welfare officer or Social Case Summary prepared by the DSWD social worker of its CIU and barangay certification of the patient. — Liv G. Campo/WAB (THE FREEMAN)