Benhur stops coursing PDAF thru Capitol

CEBU, Philippines - Congressman Benhur Salimbangon yesterday warned Felipe Verallo Memorial District Hospital in Bogo City against turning down patients who are using his health cards allegedly upon the order of a Capitol official.

Salimbangon made the warning following report that the province-owned hospital is not honoring the Benhur Health Cards for lack of funds.

“Way mga respeto sa kinabuhi sa mga tawo, nganong ila man balibaran,” Salimbangon said.

He said that it is illegal to turn down patients with or without his health cards.

But Acting Governor Agnes Magpale denied that she ordered the Verallo medical center to stop honoring the medical cards of  Salimbangon.

As far as she knows, there are no funds anymore under Salimbangon in the Provincial Capitol for medical assistance. This was confirmed by Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) head Dr. Cristina Giango.

Giango explained that when patients are admitted, they are asked where the bill would be charged and if they have the Benhur cards, it would be charged there.

“But karon wala naman gud pundo sa Benhur cards so wala na ka charge-an,” said Giango, adding that she received the information through a letter from the accounting office stating that all the Priority Development Fund intended for Verallo hospital has been used up.

She was informed though, that there are still funds for Bantayan and Daan Bantayan

Also, Giango said Salimbangon has also provided medical card funding for Medellin so if Salimbangon medical cardholders would be admitted to Verallo hospital, it would be the Municipality of Medellin who would be paying for the bills.

With this, Giango clarified that it is not true that patients would not be accommodated but the concern would be on the medical cards.

Apart from the assistance they can get from the Provincial Government, she said patients can use their membership with Philhealth especially those under the Pantawid program of the national government who have medical coverage in hospitals.

Magpale also denied only supporters of the Liberal Party within the province are given medical assistance by the Capitol.

Magpale denied that a question of who the patients will support in the coming election is asked before being approved of medical assistance.

In Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in particular, Magpale said that there are a lot of legislators and other groups who offer assistance to patients but primarily, anyone who seeks medical assistance is referred to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and there is no question as to what district they belong to determine approval of the medical assistance.

Salimbangon, meanwhile, explained that since Magpale assumed as acting governor, he decided not to put funds on the health card program at the said hospital.

Magpale and Salimbangon are not political allies. Magpale belongs to the Liberal Party while Salimbangon belongs to One Cebu.

Salimbangon said he gave P2.5 million to the municipal government of Medellin town who will pay hospital expenses of patients using his health cards.

He said that Mayor Ricky Ramirez, his ally, is the one paying expenses of patients charged to appropriation out of his Priority Development Assistance Fund.

Salimbangon used to download funds directly to the district hospitals in Bogo City, Daanbantayan and Bantayan during the time of suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, his ally.

The situation is the same in Daanbantayan and Bantayan, wherein the mayors are the ones paying the district hospitals the amount charged against the Benhur Health Card program.—  (FREEMAN)