PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office assistant general manager for Charity Sector Dr. Larry Cedro has given assurances complaints arising from ASAP (At-Source-Ang-Processing) Desks with partner-hospitals will be acted upon to improve the delivery of charity services to patients.
Cedro issued the statement in response to complaints of erring social workers in some partner-hospitals and those who give preferential treatment or priority to their relatives, friends, or close acquaintances.
He said that with the public’s empowerment through social media and other mediums, PCSO is more conscious and aware of the public’s feedback.
“On the part of PCSO, we encourage them to report because there’s a reason for us to assist them because they’re cooperating with us…report them to the head of or branch offices, the managers, or via social media accounts,” Cedro said in a statement.
In view of this, Cedro said they would study the possibility of hiring their own registered social workers to man the desks.
At present, the staff manning the ASAP Desks are organic staff of the partner-hospitals.
“Prior to the deployment of these staff, the agency has oriented them on the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Individual Medical Assistance Program,” he said.
The IMAP is the flagship program of PCSO under Charity Assistance Department.
It is designed to attend to the financial needs of all individuals with health-related problems through the provision of financial assistance.
The desks are the points of access to IMAP established through a partnership between the agency and hospitals that directly provide various health interventions to patients.
The role of the social worker is to evaluate and acknowledge the application and then do the profiling of patients to establish socioeconomic condition and classification.
Cedro revealed they had received complaints filed through Hotline 888 and called the attention of the personnel and hospitals involved by sending them a letter and requiring them to explain their side.
Social workers were also reminded of the protocol that “they are the extension of the government in a way. The expectation from them is similar to what we do [in the main office],” and those who were proven guilty were already rotated or replaced.
Cedro, however, admitted that it would be a challenge on the agency’s part to hire registered social workers organic to PCSO to man ASAP Desks, mainly due to the availability of plantilla position, or a government approved listing of positions.