By Manuel T. Cayon / Mindanao Bureau Chief
DAVAO CITY—Some 8,504 senior citizens in Compostela Valley received free hospitalization and medical services last year under the provincial government’s compliance with the “No Balance Billing Policy.”
Dr. John Edward Coloma, chief of the Provincial Economic Enterprise Management Office, said the number of senior citizens provided with free health care last year were among the priority sectors given free services in government hospitals.
There are four main provincial hospitals in the province and the remaining seven towns have their own district hospitals.
The province said the elderly were automatically given free hospital care and treatment “because they have no more source of income and could not work for a living anymore.”
Coloma said 3,000 more senior citizens were given free eye checkup and free reading glasses under the Provincial Board program of “Alay Liwanag Para kay Lolo at Lola.”
The elderly were enrolled in the “Lifetime Program” of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).
Aside from the elderly, Coloma said government provincial hospitals also extended free hospital services last year to 4,297 patients without PhilHealth insurance under the province’s “Charity Program” for indigents.
Another 16,877 PhilHealth beneficiaries received discounted hospital and medical services.
“A total of 29,678 patients were treated free in our government hospitals in Compostela Valley,” he said.
Despite the big number of indigent and charity services, government hospitals in the province earned close to P220 million last year.
Coloma said the free hospital services extended to the elderly and the indigents were worth P56,730,600.