‘HINDI DAPAT MAGMAKAAWA SA IBA’T IBANG OPISINA ANG MGA PASYENTE PARA MAKAHINGI NG TULONG!’ — BONG GO PUSHES FOR STREAMLINED ACCESS TO MEDICAL AID

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go emphasized the importance of streamlining government assistance for indigent patients to unburden them from bureaucratic hurdles where they have to visit various offices just to ask for medical aid.

Highlighting gaps in healthcare coverage, Senator Go explained that there remains a significant shortfall in assistance for patients. He noted that when someone falls ill, the financial burden often exceeds the amount covered by PhilHealth. Patients frequently turn to other agencies for help and are left searching for additional sources of aid.

Fortunately, with the presence of Malasakit Centers, they now have a reliable facility to approach for assistance.

Malasakit Centers, established as one-stop shops for indigent patients, have been a cornerstone of Senator Go’s health reforms crusade. These centers consolidate assistance from key government agencies, including the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

During a Senate Committee on Health hearing presided over by Go on Wednesday, December 18, DSWD Assistant Secretary Ulysses Aguilar confirmed that the department had taken steps to further integrate its services with Malasakit Centers.

The DSWD also announced it has amended its Memorandum Circular No. 16 to include Malasakit Centers as access points for its medical assistance programs, marking a significant step towards easing the process for indigent patients seeking aid.

Memorandum Circular No. 16 serves as the revised guidelines for the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program. The program aims to provide financial, material, and psychosocial support to individuals and families facing emergencies. The amendments to the circular will further streamline processes, expanding assistance coverage, and including Malasakit Centers as venues for on-site medical aid processing.

“Sa ngayon po, bukod sa transportation at sa food assistance na naibibigay po natin sa mga lumalapit po sa atin sa Malasakit Center, nakakatulong rin po kami sa medical assistance sa kanila. Pero ‘yun po kasi ay kino-course namin sa satellite office at saka sa field office,” Aguilar explained.

Aguilar further elaborated on the department’s recent amendment: “Ngayon po… in-amend na po ng departamento ang Memorandum Circular No. 16 to include Malasakit Center para po makapag-process na on-site sa mga Malasakit Center ng medical assistance.”

“Kasama na po kami doon. So hindi na po nila kailangan pumunta sa satellite office para mag-process po ng medical assistance. Once ma-approve,” he added.

Senator Go turned the discussion to the issue of year-end administrative cutoffs, particularly the suspension of Guarantee Letters (GLs) due to the closing of accounting books. He underscored the urgency of providing continuous aid to patients, especially during the holiday season.

“Sabi ko nga na dapat po, walang deadline po ang pagtulong sa mga kababayan natin dahil wala naman pong pinipili ‘yung araw na nagkakasakit tayo. What if panahon ng Pasko, nagkasakit ‘yung mga kababayan natin, hintayin pa nilang mag-January 2 para maka-avail po ng tulong mula sa DSWD? Sana naman walang deadline muna ito, walang cut-off, cut-off ang serbisyo natin.”

Assistant Secretary Aguilar clarified that while the cut-off applies to guarantee letters due to the annual clearing process for payments, this does not mean medical assistance will stop. He explained that patients can still seek help through satellite offices during this period, ensuring that their needs are addressed even if guarantee letters are temporarily unavailable.

Senator Go proposed that the DSWD develop a more efficient system to address these gaps and ensure uninterrupted service delivery. He suggested creating a mechanism that would allow claims made in December to be accepted and processed, with payments deferred to January if necessary.

“Mahirap naman from December 13 up to December 31, itigil n’yo ‘yung pagtulong. Hindi naman natin mapigilan kung kailan tayo magkakasakit,” he proposed.