By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Consistent with the government’s objective of ensuring that Filipinos from all walks of life can have equitable access to healthcare, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited the Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMHMC) in Batac City, Ilocos Norte on Sunday.
This, as the President assessed the implementation of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Zero Balance Billing Policy in MMMHMC, a Level III tertiary hospital which serves as one of the top medical institutions in the province.
Marcos visited the Oncology, Internal Medicine, and Family Medicine wards, where he saw the discharge of patients who benefitted from the zero billing program—as well as the Kangaroo Mother Care and Neonatal Intensive Care Units, emphasizing his administration’s focus on maternal, child, and critical healthcare services.
According to Chief of Medical Professional Staff II, Dr. Jose Orosa III, more than 400 inpatients at MMMHMC are expected to benefit from the zero balance billing policy today alone, while a total of 61,524 patients have already benefited from the program under the Marcos Jr. administration, with hospitalization costs amounting to P1.43 billion fully covered.
The Office of the President, meanwhile, led the distribution of 2,076 meals to patients, guardians, and hospital staff, complementing the 1,800 food packs from the provincial government of Ilocos Norte.
The Zero Balance Billing Policy waives various fees such as hospital accommodation, medicines, laboratory and medical procedures, and doctors’ professional fees for patients admitted to government hospitals.
On Saturday, the Chief Executive engaged with patients and healthcare workers at the Alfonso Ponce Enrile Memorial District Hospital (APEMDH) in Gonzaga, Cagayan to assess the implementation of the zero balance billing program.
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