PCSO OKs P447M financial assistance to gov’t hospitals

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Wednesday said it is set to release P447 million worth of financial assistance to 81 government hospitals across the country.

In a statement, PCSO General Manager Royina Garma said the agency’s board, in its meeting held on March 31, approved the financial assistance to “mostly provincial hospitals across the country.”  

“The financial assistance aims to augment the financial capability of the beneficiary hospitals in catering to COVID-19 patients,” Garma said.

The P477-million financial aid to state hospitals is on top of the P420-million funds to be released to PhilHealth, she added.

“The coverage of the assistance is specifically limited to COVID-19 cases and shall be utilized for testing kits, reagents, medical/diagnostic equipment, confinement, medicines, laboratory/diagnostic procedures, and personal protective equipment,” Garma said.

The newly approved financial assistance will be charged to the PCSO’s charity fund under its Calamity Assistance Program (CAP) budget.

Garma said the PCSO branch managers in different provinces are now coordinating with the hospitals for the required documents of the assistance and the schedule of turnover.

As procedural requirement, upon receipt of the assistance, the hospitals are required to submit hospital profile and Department of Health license or shall execute an undertaking to submit the said documents on a later time.

“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,” Garma said. 

The additional P447 million financial aid is in compliance with the Memorandum issued by the Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on March 28, 2020, with the subject Implementation of the Temporary Emergency Measures under the Republic Act (RA) No. 11469, otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.”

“To our fellow Filipinos, please know, that 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,” Garma said. —KG, GMA News