MANILA –Seven private hospitals in Batangas can now be accessible to indigent patients for free.
“Indigents will not need to worry anymore of hospital expenses in case they need immediate or emergency healthcare,” said DOH Calabarzon Regional Director Eduardo Janairo in a phone interview with the Philippine News Agency on Thursday.
The seven hospitals are Lipa City District Hospital; N.L. Villa Memorial Medical Center; Mary Mediatrix Medical Center; Metro Lipa Medical Center; San Antonio Medical Center of Lipa; Divine Love General Hospital; and Lipa Medix Medical Center.
Janairo said access to free medical aid in the mentioned private hospitals was made possible under the DOH Medical Assistance Program (MAP).
He said that the DOH-Calabarzon has committed MAP to Batangas province led by its District Representative Vilma Santos-Recto,.
Through Memorandum of Agreement signed with the private hospitals, DOH Calabarzon gave indigents the chance to receive treatments on their illnesses from the partner private hospitals.
“The DOH’s MAP will shoulder the fees,” he said.
The fees that will be shouldered by DOH through the provision of MAP include hospital bills, special procedures, and medicines.
According to Janairo, providing access to MAP is reflective of what is being perceived under the goal of Universal HealthCare for all Filipinos by ensuring that there is utilization of an effective service delivery network in taking care of the health of the people and the poor are reaping the benefits of no balance billing (NBB) policy.
Meanwhile during the MOA signing ceremony held at Mario’s Restaurant in Tomas Morato, Quezon City Wednesday afternoon, Recto said the undertaking signified the start of the partnership between the government and private entities in making proper healthcare accessible to indigent patients.
MAP availment will start on June 1, 2018. (Leilani Junio/PNA)
