Nearly 37K individuals receive medical assistance from Senate

At least 36,997 individuals confined in public hospitals all over the country have received medical assistance from the Senate Public Assistance Office (SPAO) in 2021, Senate Secretary Myra Marie Villarica reported on Wednesday.

In a statement, Villarica said that of the total number of beneficiaries, 11,514 were patients in the National Kidney and Transplant Institute; 11,376 were in the Philippine Heart Center; 2,103 were in the Philippine Children’s Medical Center; 1,831 were in the East Avenue Medical Center; and 1,569 were in the Lung Center of the Philippines.

“Some of the patients assisted by SPAO are in the late stages of cancer and chronic kidney disease,” she stated.

Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Villarica noted that the Senate assisted Filipinos needing medical attention and opened online applications for medical assistance.

“In 2020, the Senate provided 21,755 various forms of medical assistance,” she added.

The Senate Secretary said they will further strengthen the SPAO to keep on serving as a conduit between constituents and other appropriate government agencies.

“The instruction of Senate President Sotto is clear: alleviate the sufferings of our countrymen by providing medical assistance especially to indigent patients in the most efficient manner,” Villarica stressed.

Individuals who wish to avail of the medical assistance program of the Senate are issued a guaranteed letter through the Department of Health.

The medical assistance program is primarily available in all 70 DOH hospitals all over the country.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that the upper chamber will continue to aid Filipinos by providing medicines and medical care on top of performing its constitutional mandates.

“We have strengthened our public assistance office to cater to the growing needs of our people in terms of medical and social services. We want to be with them in the most difficult time in their life. We are glad that we have helped thousands of patients seeking assistance from our office and the various offices of the senators,” Sotto said. — Mel Matthew Doctor/BM, GMA News