Umaabot sa kabuuang ₱19.8 milyon ang halaga ng pondong itinurn-over ng Department of Health (DOH) – Ilocos Region sa Laoag City General Hospital (LCGH) upang magamit para sa medical assistance ng mga indigent patients nito.
Nabatid na ang naturang financial assistance ay ipinasilidad ni Representative Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos III sa pamamagitan ng DOH – Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) para sa benepisyo ng kanyang mga constituents sa unang distrito ng Ilocos Norte.
Ang pondo ay tinanggap naman ni Laoag City Mayor Michael Keon sa isang simpleng turn-over ceremony sa city government office.
“The Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients fund will provide financial support to indigents confined at the LCGH. Patients who are facing financial difficulty o yung mga wala talagang pambayad na naka-confine ay maaaring matulungan sa pamamagitan ng MAIP program. They will just have to submit the required documents needed to process their payment,” ayon kay Regional Director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco, sa isang pahayag nitong Huwebes.
“Kasama na rin dito yung kanilang mga bills sa medicines at iba pang mga medical services na available sa LCGH. Indigents seeking medical examination, consultation, treatment and rehabilitation can also avail of MAIP program of the DOH,” aniya pa.
Sinabi pa ni Sydiongco na mayroong existing memorandum of agreement sa pagitan ng DOH-Ilocos Region at LCGH, kung saan ang lahat ng indigent patients na maa-admit sa pagamutan ay maaaring humingi ng medical assistance.
“Quality health care is the right of every one. And patients who cannot afford to pay for their own medical care equally deserve to have access to quality medical assistance. No one should have to go without the care they need because they cannot afford it. And this is where MAIP comes in,” ani Sydiongco.
“By providing medical assistance to indigent patients, we ensure that everyone has access to the care they need which eventually helps to improve their health and quality of life,” aniya pa.
Labis naman ang pasasalamat ni Keon sa DOH – Ilocos Region at Office of Congressman Sandro Marcos para sa naturang financial assistance dahil malaking tulong aniya ito sa kanilang mga residente.