Caloocan’s ‘health for all’ gains headway

The Caloocan City government is doubling its effort to provide city residents, the indigents in particular, access to free and quality health care services through the Philhealth program.

"We are urging city residents, whether they are vendors unemployed, underemployed or contractual to avail of the program for it could greatly benefit them," Susan de Leon, spokeswoman of Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo, said.

De Leon said on Friday, the city government, in coordination with President Arroyo’s Greater Medicare Access program, would again reach out to the city residents by providing them Philhealth cards.

Interested individuals could coordinate with accredited non-government organizations (NGOs), their barangay leaders or with the local social welfare office.

"The primary concern of the program is to provide health insurance to indigent residents and on Friday our targets are the so-called informal sectors including the ambulant vendors," De Leon said.

De Leon said that Philhealth members are entitled to at least P3,000 to P5,000 free basic medical care and services. Former employees who were removed from their jobs but paid some contributions to the old Medicare system are entitled to up to P60,000 basic medical services from Philhealth accredited hospitals.

Holders of Philhealth cards, she added, could enjoy additional medical services.

De Leon expressed hope that illegal practice of some hospitals in refusing poor patients would now be lessened.

The Caloocan City government has allotted P50 million for the health insurance of indigent residents. Gigi Malonzo heads the city’s indigent program.

Mayor Malonzo earlier claimed that the city government has already distributed 50,000 Philhealth cards since it started the program last year. The local government, he added, aims to provide insurance cards to some 100,000 families or about 250,000 beneficiaries by the year 2004. — Pete Laude