SAN SIMON - Residents of this fourth district town received on Wednesday, March 21, tickets to free health care as the Provincial Government of Pampanga and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) provided anew health coverage through the "Alaga Ka Para na Maayos na Buhay" program.
A total of 6,355 Simonians from the 14 barangays here personally received their PhilHealth member data records from Governor Lilia Pineda during the simultaneous distribution held at the municipal covered court here.
Governor Pineda said that the government-sponsored PhilHealth cards will serve as tickets to universal health care of all indigent beneficiaries from all over Pampanga, not only in this town.
She stressed that the Alaga Ka, which is considered one of her flagship programs, is aimed at providing poor families with greater access to primary health care services on both public and private hospitals.
“Ding PhilHealth cards yu pu maulaga la. Atin ospital na manyad downpayment. Nung ala kang pamayad, ali daka ulwan pero nung atin kayu pung PhilHealth, private o public ospital basta kapartner tala pu, e kayu mikaproblema (Your PhilHealth cards are very valuable. There are hospitals which require downpayment before admitting their patients. Without money, you will not be attended but if you have your PhilHealth cards, you will have no problem),” she said.
Governor Pineda also reminded the beneficiaries to maximize the use of their health coverage by immediately attending to their health needs and avoid exacerbating their illnesses before going to hospitals.
Mayor Leonora Wong, for her part, extended her gratitude to Governor Pineda for awarding another batch of free Philhealth membership cards to Simonians.
She disclosed that this is the biggest batch of Simonians who were simultaneously given their government-sponsored health cards since Governor Pineda launched the Alaga Ka program.
“Libo-libo na ang nakatanggap, libo-libo na ang nabigyan ng PhilHealth ni Nanay (Pineda) dito sa San Simon kaya ang mga Simonians ay hindi takot na magkasakit dahil alam nila na may PhilHealth sila (Thousands of Simonians have received their Philhealth cards and are now worry-free in terms of healthcare,” she said.
