Gullas denies GMAP owes VSMMC P900K

CEBU, Philippines - First district Rep. Eduardo Gullas yesterday clarified that the Gullas Medical Assistance Program (GMAP) has no outstanding balance with the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).

Gullas’ statement came after it was reported that the VSMMC has been turning away patients from the province because of outstanding payables which has reached P900,000.

Gullas’ GMAP, a project started by his younger brother, former Cong. Jose “Dodong” Gullas, has ties with VSMMC since 2001 for the free hospitalization of his district’s indigent people.

The veteran congressman said that as of the moment GMAP still has an unconsumed balance from the P3 million he paid in advance last year.

Under this program, each indigent patient from the first district is entitled to a P5,000 worth of financial aid. Gullas said he usually signs a memorandum of agreement with the VSMMC allowing his district’s residents to get medial care, with a counterpart of P5 million from his priority development and assistance fund (PDAF).

“The purpose of GMAP is for the indigent patients to avail of the medical services at the VSMMC. All they need is to get a certification from their barangay captain,” he said.

 It was reported yesterday that the VSMMC has stopped receiving patients from the province due to its payables of almost P1 million.

The Capitol paid a portion of the amount in order to have the patients admitted again at the state-run hospital. (FREEMAN)