CEBU, Philippines - Senator Sergio “Serge” R. Osmeña III will be donating P2 million to benefit the indigent patients of the Cebu City Medical Center.
The amount will be sourced from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) under his Medical Assistance Program.
In the Memorandum of Agreement now subject for review by the City Legal Office, Osmeña, being the first party to the agreement, designates Councilor Margarita Osmeña, the wife of his brother Representative Tomas Osmeña, to be the senator’s authorized representative who shall identify and recommend the patients who may avail of the program.
Councilor Osmeña is then authorized to sign the appropriate referral or guarantee letter as part of the requirements to avail the stand-by medical fund.
They have chosen CCMC as one of the hospitals to receive support because of the number of indigent patients from Cebu City seeking help from the senator’s office for medical assistance.
Indigents may benefit from the program for laboratory and radiology tests, ECG and other diagnostic procedures. It may also be used to pay for hospital bills in case of confinement.
In-patients and emergency patients may benefit from the assistance for drugs and medicines including incidental expenses required for the treatment sought.
It cannot however be used for professional fees or doctor’s fee.
To avail the program, patients must secure a guarantee letter together with the prescription of the needed diagnostic services (for lab tests).
Patients must be confined at the CCMC but can go elsewhere if CCMC can certify that it does not have the supply and facilities needed.
Medicines not available in the hospital’s pharmacy may be purchased directly from other pharmacies and later be refunded.
Senator Osmeña has been providing budgetary support to government-owned medical institutions for the medical needs of indigent patients and is giving assistance to the Philippine General Hospital, National Kidney Institute, the Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center, Vicente Sotto Medical Center, Baguio General Hospital, and the Lingad Memorial Hospital. — (FREEMAN)