THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) yesterday agreed to shoulder the doctors’ fee of indigent patients who are admitted in hospitals, after a meeting with Speaker Romualdez and other House leaders.
The Speaker said with the PCSO’s commitment, President Marcos Jr.’s aspiration to provide free hospitalization to all Filipinos is getting closer to reality.
“All medical practitioners will (then) be covered by the government under the auspices of the charity agency under the auspices of the PCSO so that health care will be totally free,” he said after meeting with PSCO General Manager Melquiades Robles and Philippine Medical Association (PMA) president Dr. Hector Santos Jr.
He thanked the PCSO for answering the call of health care professionals on the issue of professional fees.
Robles told the Speaker the modalities for the implementation of the coverage of professional fees by the PCSO are expected be in place by October.
Robles earlier told lawmakers during a budget hearing that various forms of medical assistance are already available to indigent patients, including from agencies like Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, or programs like the Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP).
Despite these, Robles said, indigent patients most of the time still have to shoulder the professional fees of their doctors. He said the expected change in the PCSO rules would address this problem and soon allow Filipinos to enjoy free health care.
The meeting at the House was facilitated by Rep. Erwin Tulfo (PL, ACT-CIS) and attended by senior deputy speaker Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Committee on Appropriations chair Rep. Zaldy Co (PL, Ako Bicol), majority leader Manuel Jose Dalipe and Rep. Edvic Yap (PL, ACT-CIS).
