THE Department of Health (DOH) still awaits the guidelines on providing free medicines and hospitalization for the poor, unemployed, and elderly Filipinos in 2017.
DOH assistant secretary for Mindanao Abdullah Dumama Jr. said once the guidelines will be released, the office will start giving free medicines and hospitalization to beneficiaries.
"The government is really trying hard to provide free health services to our people. We have to wait for the guidelines in January 2017. Free is free talaga, walang babayaran yung poor (The poor will have nothing to pay)," Dumama said.
In Davao Region, Davao Regional Medical Center and the Southern Philippines Medical Center, which are run by the government, will soon implement free health services.
Health secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial earlier made the announcement during her visit to the Integrated Provincial Hospital Office in Maguindanao, where she launched the first CT scan machine in the hospital.
Ubial said the health department will procure commonly used medicines for distribution to hospitals under the government's Medicines Access Program so patients could avail the medicines for free.
"The hospital pharmacies shall be filled up with complete regular and uninterrupted supply of medicines," Dumama said, adding that the government will also give the poor free Philippine Health (PhilHealth) enrollment.
Aside from the Congress-allotted budget for DOH, President Rodrigo Duterte also set aside P5 billion for the medical expenses of the indigents without PhilHealth membership.
The budget department had also settled in November the P32-billion arrears from the PhilHealth's P42-billion deficits while other agencies like the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation will provide additional subsidies.
