Pending P2M Cebu City deposit: VSMMC won’t admit patients

CEBU, Philippines - Beneficiaries of the City Hospitalization Assistance and Medicines Program (CHAMP) who need major operation will have to wait until the Cebu City government is able to pay the P2 million deposit funds before they can be admitted to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

The VSMMC has deferred accepting CHAMP patients despite an earlier agreement with the city officials after the Department of Health has downgraded the status of the Cebu City Medical Center from Level 2 to a Level 1 hospital until the required deposit is paid.

The amount is on top of the P3 million payables of the city government to VSMMC.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said the P2 million serves as a deposit fund for patients under CHAMP.

“That’s the agreement to deposit initial payment for CHAMP fund kun diin adto i-deduct every admission sa patient,” he said.

CHAMP head Henry Sanchez, however, said they are now processing the voucher for an initial deposit of P500,000. He said the P2 million will be deposited in tranches.

“Dili nga mahadlok ang VSMMC nga di mabayran sa syudad, but the amount would serve as their ‘assurance’ for the medical expenses to be incurred,” Labella explained.

VSMMC discontinued accepting CHAMP beneficiaries since 2010 because of the city government’s outstanding payable amounting to P3 million.

The amount was not paid due to VSMMC’s alleged failure to attach in the billing statement the documents required by the Commission on Audit such as name of the patients, medical abstract, diagnosis, among others.

VSMMC management, after meeting with the city officials, agreed to take back CHAMP beneficiaries because of the city hospital’s present situation. The CCMC is no longer allowed by DOH to perform major surgeries after the downgrading of its status.

Labella met with VSMMC medical director Dr. Geraldo Aquino together with the accountants to discuss how to settle the city payables.

“The agreement was the city and VSMMC will go through the process of reconciling the records, so once we shall have reconciled, medical abstracts, names of patients, then that’s the time the city will be paying the outstanding balance of P3 million,” Labella said.

 Labella assured that the city has sufficient money to pay the identified payables.

 “The city has the money, only that the city needs the pertinent documentation,” he added.

Patient requirements

According to City Hall website, CHAMP beneficiaries are required to submit a Letter of Authority (LOA) enclosed with the patients’ signature, identification cards, sworn application, proof of residency, doctor’s prescription, medical certification (for medicines) or medical abstract (for hospitalization) and a certificate of eligibility issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS).

Program applicants are also required to secure a LOA issued by CHAMP supervisor Belinda Navasquez.

 DSWS chief Dr. Ester Concha, City Administrator Dr. Lucelle Mercado, and CCMC chief of hospital Dr. Gloria Duterte are tasked to peruse applications.

The CHAMP guidelines only allow the city government to shoulder a maximum of P25,000 for each beneficiary. The city has appropriated P100 million for CHAMP, which includes laboratory, medicine, hospitalization/billing, and burial. — /FPL (FREEMAN)