Garcia, Salimbangon ink P6 million funding for Fourth District government hospitals

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu fourth district Representative Janice Salimbangon sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the allocation of P6-million funding for indigent patients in the district hospitals of Bantayan, Daanbantayan and the Provincial Hospital in Bogo City. The MOU signing was held at the Bantayan District Hospital on Monday, September 30, 2019. CDN Digital photo | Rosalie Abatayo

BANTAYAN, Cebu — The office of Representative Janice Salimbangon of Cebu’s Fourth District has allocated P6 million funds as medical assistance for indigent patients in the district.

The medical assistance program covers the district hospitals in Bantayan, Daanbantayan, and the provincial hospital in Bogo City which are managed by the Cebu provincial government.

On Monday, September 30, 2019, Salimbangon and Governor Gwendolyn Garcia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), securing the P6 million funding for the medical assistance program by depositing it in a joint trust fund between the office of the district representative and the Capitol.

From the P6 million, the province shall maintain a petty cash fund of P300,000 for Bogo City Provincial Hospital; P200,000 for Daanbantayan District Hospital; and P100,000 for Bantayan District Hospital.

“The petty cash is for purposes of reimbursement of medicines, supplies, and laboratory services bought and paid outside the hospital,” the MOU reads.

In 2018, the Cebu Provincial Board passed an ordinance amending the Revenue Code of the Province which made services in the provincial and district hospitals free for all indigent patients

The free hospitalization, based on the terms of the revenue code, covers those who are admitted in the charity wards of the hospitals.

Included in the free services of the province-run hospitals are that of the outpatient department, dental, emergency room, laboratory, delivery and operating rooms.

Dr. Christina Gianggo, head of the Provincial Health Office, said the medical assistance program will cover the medical needs of the patients that cannot be covered by the free hospitalization or the services and medicines that the patients availed outside the province-run hospital.

Based on the MOU, indigent patients who are admitted or are seeking outpatient medical care in the said will have to secure a recommendation from Salimbangon’s office to avail of the financial assistance to offset their medical expenses.

The recommendation letter from Salimbangon entitles a patient of up to P50,000 if he was admitted and underwent a major surgery; P20,000 if he was confined but did not undergo surgery; and P10,000 for outpatients, to offset their bill in the hospital.

The assistance will be coursed through the Benhur Health Card Medical Assistance Program which was a project of former fourth district representative Benhur Salimbangon, incumbent Representative Salimbangon’s husband.

The MOU signing held at the Bantayan District Hospital is one of the activities attended by Garcia in her two-day visit to Bantayan Island. /bmjo