Mayors urged to enroll indigents in health program

CEBU, Philippines - Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. has urged mayors in the province to enroll more indigent constituents to the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program (NOCHP).

Marañon said the target coverage for NOCHP all over Negros Occidental is at least 170,000 members, however, only 76,955 have been enrolled to the program since it started two years ago.

Based on records, the First District has enrolled 1,390; the Second District has enrolled 20,847 indigents; the Third District has enrolled 23,804 indigents; the Fourth District has enrolled 5,323 indigents; the Fifth District has enrolled 3,150 indigents; and the 6th District has enrolled 22,441 indigents.

He said the 3rd and 6th Districts have high enrolment, but the other districts should double its efforts in increasing their enrolment.

“I don’t know why (this is so). I am urging all the mayors to expedite the registration of your members,” Marañon said during the signing of the memorandum of agreement for PhilHealth sponsorship at the L’Fisher Hotel last Monday.

Of the 76,955 NOCHP members, about 8,000 have availed of PhilHealth benefits. NOCHP records also show that 7,078 NOCHP members have availed of hospitalization benefits, whose excess claims NOCHP paid in the amount of P4,137,978. - THE FREEMAN