BACOLOD City – The city government entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with two private hospitals for the Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP).
The signing, led by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Cherry Pink Nonato of South Bacolod General Hospital and Dr. Christine Marie Puey of Metro Bacolod Hospital and Medical Center, was held at the Bacolod City Government Center on Thursday, Sept. 15.
BacCHP is one of the flagship programs of Benitez, as he wants the said program to be established as soon as possible for his first 100-day agenda.
For now, the city mayor said the program only targets 10,000 beneficiaries, prioritizing the poorest of the poor.
He explained that when he assumed his post on June 30, 2022, this program was not included in the annual budget, so the city government must prioritize in order to cater those in need.
He said that for next year, however, the city government is proposing to allocate P80 million for the program.
Under the said program, the city government will issue a BacCHP card to the beneficiaries that they can use for consultation or hospital admission.
The BacCHP shall cover an array of health services that every Bacoleño may avail in times of emergency or health distress. It will also lessen the worry of every family about being denied admission to a health institution should they fail to offer an initial payment.
Benitez said this will give card holders easy access to hospitalization since the hospital will no longer require them to pay a downpayment or admission fee.
It will be the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and other national agencies that provide financial assistance for hospitalization that will shoulder the charges.
Meanwhile, the City Health Office is conducting an ongoing community consultation with the 61 barangays here regarding the implementation of the said program based on their respective schedules./PN