THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is set to release an additional P447 million as financial assistance to 81 government hospitals on top of P420 million it will be releasing to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
PCSO General Manager Royina M. Garma said in a statement that the board in its Tuesday meeting approved the assistance to hospitals across the country to augment the financial capability of the beneficiary hospitals catering to Covid-19 patients.
“The financial assistance is over and above the P420-million funds to be released to PhilHealth as announced last week,” Garma said.
The assistance is specifically limited to Covid-19 cases and shall be used for confinement, laboratory or diagnostic procedures, testing kits; personal protective equipment, reagents, medical or diagnostic equipment and medicines.
The newly approved financial assistance will be charged to the agency’s Charity Fund under its Calamity Assistance Program budget.
Garma said PCSO branch managers in different provinces are already coordinating with the hospitals for the required documents of the assistance and the schedule of turnover to be held at the PCSO branch office.
“We are calling on the heads of these hospitals to also reach out to the nearest PCSO branch office in their area for the details of the assistance so that they can start planning on how to use the assistance based on the given limitations,” she said.
Upon receipt of the assistance, the hospitals are required to submit their hospital profile and Department of Health license or execute an undertaking to submit the said documents at a later time.
The PCSO said it is contributing the additional P447 million in compliance with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea’s memorandum ordering government agencies to work together in protecting and supporting health workers and front liners; providing supplies and equipment necessary for detecting the disease and caring for those infected; deliver essential necessities such as food and medicine to the most vulnerable; and, mobilize all state assets to sustain the operations of the government.
“To our fellow Filipinos, please know, that the PCSO will always be here, ready to provide health- and medical-related assistance. Let us also do our part as individuals by cooperating and following orders so that we can flatten the curve and put an end soon to this invisible enemy,” she said.