The Talisay District Hospital’s refusal to honor coupons issued by the city government of Talisay for indigent patients is only temporary
Dr. Agustin Agos, head of the medical facility, said in a radio interview that they will resume accepting the coupons if the city pays even a portion of the almost P8 million unpaid bills.
Of the total amount, only a little over P1 million was incurred during the administration of Mayor Johnny V. Delos Reyes from August last year until January this year. The rest are inherited from the administration of then mayor and now Councilor Socrates Fernandez.
He said that the Office of the Mayor had paid only once, with the amount of P49,000.
Earlier, the mayor pointed out that the bulk of the total amount was incurred by the previous administration and that they have paid the hospital about P800,000 for the Indigent-Medical Assistance Program.
Agos said the hospital is under the Department of Health and receives an annual budget of P4.6 million from the national government.
The mayor said they are willing to pay the amount in tranches if the hospital can present documents.
Agos said they didn’t receive communication from the mayor asking them for documents, as they have not received a reply when they demanded for payment every month since last year.
He is willing to sit down with the mayor to settle the matter.
There’s a memorandum of agreement that states the city will pay the hospital on a monthly basis, according to Agos.
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