PNP, hospital sign deal for free treatment of cops hurt in line of duty

Police officers wounded in line of duty can now receive comprehensive medical attention from Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center free of charge.

The Philippine National Police has entered into  an agreement with the Philippine-Chinese Charitable Association Inc., the owner and operator the CGH, as regards the free medical treatment.

According to the memorandum of agreement, police personnel who are engaged in actual police operations  or during hot pursuit of enemies of the state, violators of laws, and organized crime syndicates, shall be covered by the privilege.

Police officers, who are in performance of official duties from the time he left his or her residence to report for work and perform hisofficial functions at the designated place of assignment can also avail of the treatment without any charges.

Non-uniformed personnel who are also injured during actual police operations are also covered by the agreement provided their immediate superior shall submit documents showing the former’s in-the-line-of-duty status.

Excluded from the agreement were those injured or wounded outside the scope of official police function such as drinking spree or injuries brought by heated altercation; injured due to intentional acts, misconduct, vicious, immoral, or illegal acts; and injured while on official leave of absence except when the police officer is called upon to perform official functions.

The CGH should provide preliminary medical aid and treatment to all police personnel regardless of place of assignment and provide diagnosis and treatment, including surgery and major operations as well as the use of its medical equipment and facilities, from admission to release.

The PNP, for its part, should immediately transport the injured police officer to CGH for preliminary medical aid.

It should also determine the ‘line of duty’ status of the injured police officer through his/her immediate superior officer and submit to CGH the authentic report and documents showing the the police officer’s active membership in the PNP.

In exchange, the PNP “shall render police assistance as the need arises and to the fullest extent possible within the legal bounds to the members, directors, and officers of the PCCAI, Filipino-Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, CGH-College of Nursing and Liberal Arts, and others whom the members, directors, and officers of the PCCAI shall refer to the PNP for police assistance.”

The agreement states should the police officer, after several days of confinement at CGH, opt to transfer to another hospital, the responsibility of the PCCAI will cease.

“Should the policeman, after having been medically treated, be found to not have sustained the injury in line of duty or not to be an active member of PNP, he or she shall be required to pay all his hospitals without prejudice to the appropriate sanctions to be undertaken against him,” the MOA states.

It further said that the CGH staff, after providing preliminary medical aid, has the right to demand for the police officer’s proof of identification, active membership, and circumstances of the event that led to the injuries sustained. —NB, GMA News