Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Alexander Balutan on Monday said the Universal Health Care, the flagship health program of President Rodrigo Duterte, would get maximum fund support.
He also directed the agency’s gaming sector to intensify its operations to raise more funds from its various Lotto products, Sweepstakes and Small Town Lottery.
This year, Balutan said PCSO had been an active member of the President’s “Malasakit Center” nationwide.
The other key members are the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Philippine Health Insurance Corp.
Balutan said: “With the UHC law on the works by both Houses of Congress, the President is assured PCSO will work hard to provide more funds for free hospitalization of patients specially the indigents who can’t even afford to buy their own medicines.
“Patients afflicted with life-threatening illness such as those who needs chemotherapy and radiation and dialysis treatments, implant and transplant operations, and even those who needs wheelchair, hearing aids were already made easier for them to avail financial assistance through the UHC via the Malasakit Centers.”
After some confusion about the transfer of PCSO’s 30 percent charity fund under the Senate version, Balutan said this had been clarified and agreed on that the whole Individual Medical Assistance Program should be fully transferred to PhilHealth.
The IMAP is the flagship project of PCSO that comprises services such as financial assistance for hospital bill, chemo/radiation and dialysis treatments and other medical services to patients that needs immediate financial assistance.
“I want to thank our senators for listening to our concerns and hopefully everything will be fine and the UHC would become a law soon,” Balutan said.
He said PCSO services under its institutional partnership program would be retained such as the ambulance donation, calamity assistance, capability building for regional health units, medicines procurement, the Integrated Health for Overall Productivity and Empowerment, endowment fund, among others.
This comprises 60 percent of the charity fund.