MANILA — Appropriations panel chair and Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Elizaldy Co praised the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for agreeing to cover the professional fees of doctors treating impoverished patients in hospitals.
This move aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to explore measures to improve healthcare delivery for the country’s less fortunate.
Rep. Co expressed his satisfaction with the swift response from the PCSO to his call for action.
During the budget deliberations for the PCSO, Co had urged the agency to assume responsibility for paying doctors’ professional fees, noting that many poor Filipinos were struggling due to an inability to afford these costs.
It was reported that doctors had been refusing payment through the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Program (MAIPP).
Co also commended the Philippine Medical Association, under the leadership of Dr. Hector Santos, for their commitment to ensuring that all PMA member doctors would receive payment from the PCSO, even if it takes up to 30-60 days.
Co believes that this collaboration demonstrates that when the government and professionals unite, they can find solutions that ultimately benefit the Filipino people.