PCSO gives financial help to over 16,000 patients in June

A total of 16,541 patients were given financial assistance by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in June, allocating over R500 million for their medical needs.

PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said “[the agency has already spent R518,626,694 million, an increase of 13 percent compared with the same period last year.”

Such is an increase of 18.7 percent of the same period last year, the agency said.

According to PCSO, the top three requests were hospital confinement with 5,120 patients, an increase in 18.4 percent compared with the same period last year; request for medicines, 5,088 patients at 19.4 percent; and chemotherapy, 3,582 patients at 13.2 percent.

“As for spending, the agency already spent R194,466,480 million for confinement, R160,590,803 million for chemotherapy, R84,478,960 million for requests for medicines, R47,684,600 million for implant/prosthesis/medical devices, and R19,502,851 million for laboratory and diagnostic procedures,” the general manger said.

Other requests were for radiation treatment, surgery, laser treatment, medical appliances, dialysis (hemodialysis and peritoneal), blood, and others.

Balutan said 30 percent of PCSO’s revenue immediately goes to the charity fund which pays for the free hospitalization and medicines of indigent patients and other medical services.

“That is why sales coming from Lotto, digit games, and Small Town Lottery (STL) games are very important. The higher the sales, the more we can help people,” he said.

The PCSO general manager said the agency always exceeds its corporate operating budget for charity fund due to the increasing number of beneficiaries.

As per the Commission on Audit’s (COA) 2016 report, the total actual expenses of medical assistance program of PCSO exceeded its approved annual budget by R4.837 billion.

Balutan assured that by the end of the year, all the excess operation funds and unclaimed prize money shall be reverted back to the charity fund.

“PCSO is not violating any law and cognizant of its obligations and responsibilities,” he said.