Sotto meets patient he helped undergo heart surgery

CEBU, Philippines - Re-electionist Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will continue to push for the upgrading of all government hospitals in the country and improvement of healthcare services, especially among the poor.

The 67-year-old legislator, who was in Cebu yesterday, said the poor deserve to have free medicine.

“Sa tingin ko, kaya naman ‘yan ng gobyerno to give free medicines to the poor,” said Sotto, who personally met a patient whom he helped undergo heart surgery at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Nehemiah Jean Abaquita, 22, of Lapu-Lapu City was thankful to the senator for assisting her in her financial problem with the hospital.

“Daku gyud kaayo ang akong pasalamat ni Senator Sotto kay iyaha gyud kong gitabangan. Tanan senador gipangayuan namo og tabang pero siya ra gyud ang ni-response,” she said,

Abaquita said she has been a walking time bomb since 2010 when she was diagnosed with a diseased mitral valve. She underwent mitral valve replacement last December 5 and had to pay P600,000 for the surgery.

However, her family had only P200,000. Her mother decided to chat with Sotto through Facebook and the senator’s staff answered in less than four hours.

Sotto said the remaining P400,000 was paid through his discretionary fund as a legislator which he put at the Department of Health amounting to P50 million.

The senator also gave financial assistance to Abaquita for her medicines.  Sotto also added that VSMMC will have additional 400 beds and a new ambulance after the May elections.  (FREEMAN)