President Marcos to DOH: Address concerns in zero billing

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has directed the Department of Health to ensure the effective implementation of the government’s zero-billing policy in all DOH-accredited hospitals, citing reports of long queues and confusion among patients.

Marcos gave the order yesterday during an inspection of the Eastern Visayas Medical Center in Tacloban City.

“I wanted to see if our zero billing that we’re doing now is going well,” the President said. “We are receiving reports that sometimes there are long lines or not everyone knows what needs to be done.”

The Chief Executive instructed Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa to ensure that staff in all DOH-run hospitals are well-briefed on the procedures, to prevent patients from experiencing difficulties in availing themselves of the benefit.

“Make sure they know what they’re going to do so that our patients will not have a hard time in availing it,” Marcos said.

The President announced the zero-billing policy during his fourth State of the Nation Address last July.

Under the scheme, patients admitted in basic accommodation rooms or wards of DOH-accredited hospitals are not required to pay out-of-pocket expenses.

Herbosa earlier clarified that the policy applies nationwide.

Patient transport vehicles

Before his hospital inspection, Marcos led the turnover of 124 patient transport vehicles (PTVs) to local government units (LGUs) across Eastern Visayas during a ceremony at the City Plaza in Ormoc City, Leyte.

The President noted that several municipalities received an ambulance for the first time, including Abuyog, Jaro, Kananga, Matalom and Santa Fe in Leyte; Tagapul-an in Samar; General MacArthur, Salcedo and San Policarpio in Eastern Samar and Lapinig, San Vicente and Silvino Lobos in Northern Samar.

“We came here because this is part of the continuing strengthening of our health care system,” Marcos said.

The PTVs were distributed under the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO)’s Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program.

With the President at the event were PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles, Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez and other officials.

Each ambulance is equipped with a stretcher, oxygen tank, blood pressure monitor, first aid kit and other essential medical tools.

“This is the model that we think is the most practical. It will cover 90-plus percent of all the needs of a patient. It can work as an ambulance, it can work as a transport vehicle,” Marcos said.

Out of 1,642 cities and towns nationwide, 1,173 have already received PTVs, the President added.