President Duterte Released P25 Million For Free Healthcare Of Marawi Patients

The Department of Health (DOH), under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, has released P25 million in cash to hospitals in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro to provide for the free health care of bakwits or internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The DOH in the early days of the siege signed a memorandum of agreement with several hospitals around Marawi City to provide free health care of Marawi-related injuries.

DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial said that the DOH made sure that the hospitals would treat the patients even if these did not have identification or membership statuses with PhilHealth.

“Sinisigurado ho natin na pag bakwit po ang pasyente, pay all po yung PhilHealth. Ibig sabihin po nyan, di na kailangan magproduce ng ID, ng birth certificate, ng MDR, yung form na nagsasabi na dependent sila or nagbayad sila on time,” Ubial said.

“Basta taga-Marawi po sila or galing-Marawi, inaadmit po natin, wala nang kailangan na papeles, and binabayaran po ng PhilHealth ang kanilang hospitalization. Ang excess ng PhilHealth, yung DOH na po ang nagbabayad through the medical assistance program,” Ubial added.

At the evacuation centers, the DOH and private partners and other organizations such as NGOs have been able to assist at least 7,428 patients.

The DOH estimated that around 33%, or 2,200 of the patients in the evacuation centers, were children.

“Karamihan po sa kanila, diarrhea or ubo at sipon ang sakit,” Ubial said.

Source: Manila Bulletin