BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved a resolution allocating the amount of P5.1 million as medical assistance of the city government to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), especially for patients who are bonafide residents of the city’s 128 barangays.
The resolution authored by all members of the local legislative body stated that for this year, the city government has an appropriation for financial assistance to the BGHMC, a government tertiary hospital catering to the needs of patients from different parts of Northern and Central Luzon, in the amount of P12.6 million.
Of the said amount, P7.5 million was programmed by the city government for the purchase of medical equipment to augment the existing units of medical equipment in the said hospital, while P5.1 million is for medical assistance for indigent patients as determined under Resolution No. 099, series of 2009.
Under the approved resolution, the amount shall be allocated for the disposal of the concerned city officials, specifically the City Mayor – P550,000, the City Vice Mayor – P350,000 and the 14 members of the local legislative body – P3000,000 each.
Resolution No. 099, series of 2009 provides that the medical assistance shall be only for indigent patients who are bonafide residents of the city.
Further, the assistance shall be extended to patients who are confined at the charity ward of the BGHMC for expenses for drugs, medicines, medical services, professional fees, laboratory tests, ECG, x-ray, surgery, and other medical or laboratory procedures, directly provided by the government hospital.
For out-patients and emergency patients, the resolution stipulated the funds may cover the same expenses as the above, but limited to what is directly provided by the hospital.
The approved resolution outlines that the councilor or official shall identify and recommend, through a letter, the indigent and deserving patient who may avail of the medical assistance and that the letter which will be addressed to the BGHMC medical center chief should indicate the maximum amount the patient can avail of under the fund.
Moreover, the guarantee letter should be accompanied by proof that the beneficiary patient is a bonafide resident of the city and proof that the patient is an indigent.
In emergency cases, the aforesaid requirements may be waived or submitted later by the patient after undergoing the emergency procedures.
The resolution adds that the BGHMC, through its credit and collection office, shall furnish each official on a quarterly basis, the list of patients who have availed of the medical assistance program, including the amount of assistance extended for monitoring and recording purposes.
The grant of financial and medical assistance to the deserving indigent patients has been a continuing program of the local government that trace back to the previous administrations considering the growing need for the said assistance from the indigent patients confined in the said hospital who come from the city’s 128 barangays./Dexter A. See
