PhilHealth vowed to expedite payments to Red Cross, hospitals —Bong Go

PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran has pledged to expedite payments and settle its obligations with the Philippine Red Cross and public and private hospitals rendering services for COVID-19 patients, Senator Bong Go said.

In a radio interview, Go, Senate health committee chairperson and former close aide of President Rodrigo Duterte, said he was able to talk to Gierran about fast-tracking the payment of its dues with PRC so that its COVID-19 testing efforts will not be hampered.

“Nangako naman si Atty. Gierran at nakausap din po mismo ni Pangulong Duterte si Atty. Gierran na bilisan na po ang pagbayad sa Red Cross, pati na rin po sa private at government hospitals para po bumilis ang kanilang cash flow," Go said.

(Atty. Gierran promised, and President Duterte also talked to Atty. Gierran about it, to expedite the payment of its balance with Red Cross as well as with private and government hospitals to ensure their cash flow.)

"Kapag mabilis ang kanilang cash flow, meron po silang pang-roll sa kanilang hospital at makakapagdagdag sila ng additional hospital beds para po doon sa COVID-19 patients,” he added.

(If they have a smooth cash flow, they will have the funding for their operations and they will have the means to put up additional hospital beds for COVID-19 patients.)

Senator Richard Gordon, who chairs PRC, earlier said that PhilHealth now owes the humanitarian organization some P876 billion over its COVID-19 testing efforts.

"I wish PhilHealth would pay us the amount (they owe us) para magamit namin ‘yan para matulungan ang mga nangangailangan. Hindi naman kami naningingil just for the sake of makapaningil but to roll over," Gordon said.

(I wish PhilHealth would pay us the amount [they owe us] so we can use it to help more people. We are not asking them to pay us back just for the sake of getting what they owe us, but to roll over.)

"Aside from replenishing our testing supplies, at the same time, we are going into this because there is a need to make sure that our people are safe in their homes, that the asymptomatic will be taken out to isolation facilities where they will be taken care of,” he added.

Back in October last year, PRC halted conducting COVID-19 tests chargeable to PhilHealth after the latter failed to settle its outstanding balance amounting to nearly P1 billion.

PRC has since resumed testing after PhilHealth settled half of the balance.—AOL, GMA News