CEBU City has enough funds from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
(Pagcor) to pay off the city’s P2.2 million obligation to private hospitals that accepted patients who were transferred from the Cebu City Medical Center after the October 2013 earthquake.
OIC treasurer Diwa Cuevas certified that enough funds were available for the purpose.
City Councilors are looking into Mayor Michael Rama ‘s request for authority to charge the bills to Pagcor funds.
A total of 38 CCMC patients were treated in Chong Hua Hospital, Perpetual Succour Hospital, Velez General Hospital, Adventist Hospital and Cebu Doctors’ Hospital.
Councilor Margot Osmeña said the bills should be covered by the 2013 City Hospitalization Assistance and Medicines Program (Champ) but since the year’s book of accounts is closed, the city’s monthly Pagcor donation is an option.
Since there’s a P25,000 cap for each beneficiary under Champ, Osmeña wanted to know if the city should shoulder hospital bills in excess of the P25,000 maximum coverage.
Some of the transferee patients incurred bills up to P200,000.
Councilors agreed to seek the opinion of the City Accounting Office.
According to Councilor Dave Tumulak, an ally of the mayor, there is no problem charging more than P25,000 per patient because the city was under a state of calamity when the patients were transferred.