Over 3T patients benefit DSWD’s LinGap sa Masa

CEBU, Philippines — A total of 3,645 indigent patients of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City have availed of the free medicine assistance program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7).

Lingap at Gabay Para sa May Sakit (LinGap sa Masa) is a free medicine assistance program funded under President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Socio Civic Project Funds, formerly known as the “Libreng Gamot Para saMasa.”

The VSMMC was the first ever regional hospital in the entire Central Visayas to implement the program.

The aforementioned program does not only give out medicines to indigent patients but also provide other medical necessity such as prosthetics, assistance device, and laboratory procedures.

Currently, the program is also available to those confined indigent patients and to those receiving out-patient treatments at the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) in Tagbilaran City.

This is DSWD’s way to expand the program for a wider scope of beneficiaries. Also, the services under the program can now be availed by family members of contract service workers and regular government workers.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Aleli B. Bawagan said that the amendments in guidelines were made to make the program more accessible to those who are in need of medical assistance.

“During the implementation phase, the Department noted that the original guidelines limited the assistance to free medicines. We immediately saw that many indigent patients needed not only medicines, but also assistive devices,” Bawagan said.

He further pointed out that the additional assistance is a great help not only to the marginalized but also to those persons with disabilities.

“This is particularly true and is very helpful in the case of persons with disabilities (PWDs). Many impoverished Filipinos also need funds for laboratory costs which are often out of their financial reach or outright exorbitant,” he explained.

Those who want to benefit from the program should have: 1) Any valid ID of the patient; 2) Any valid ID of representative and written authorization signed by the patient in favor of the representative; 3) Doctor’s prescription issued within the last three months, indicating date and name of patient, duly signed by attending physician, with his or her license number and contact details; 4) Proof of Indigency or Certificate issued by the barangay or medical social service of an identified hospital.

To further understand the scope of the program, interested patients may approach the DSWD-7 social workers assigned in VSMMC and GCGMH for assistance. (FREEMAN)