Hospital heads summoned for budget hearing
The Committee on Budget and Appropriations has requested all the heads of the provincial-run hospitals to appear on the budget hearing today.
Aside from hearing about their budget proposals for next year, Committee Head Celestino Martinez III also wants to clarify matters including why the free hospitalization for children in Cebu's government-run hospitals was not realized.
Back in 2015, the Cebu Provincial Board passed an ordinance mandating free hospitalization to children aged zero to six years old.
“They should not be billed nor be made to pay for any other medical, incidental or miscellaneous expenses,” the ordinance states.
Included in the mandatory free medical care are inpatient services, professional care services, diagnostics, laboratory and medical examination services, use of operating rooms and other medical equipment, prescription of drugs which are available in the hospital and outpatient services.
Provincial Health Office Head Dr. Rene Catan agreed with the committee's suggestion to meet with the hospital chiefs.
He said that the chiefs will be coming since the health office will be having a meeting in the morning. The hearing for PHO's budget will be this afternoon.
In the meantime, the budget proposal of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) has been deferred.
"We are deferring the budget. PHO including the hospital operations since they are one and the same," Martinez said.
PHO has a proposed budget of P773.9 million while the 16 government hospitals were given a cumulative budget total of P597.7 million.
Altogether, the proposed budget for the whole provincial health program is around P1.4 billion.
"Apparently there are issues that we have to crash out particularly kaning pag-collect og professional fee (of the doctors). As soon as they (patients) arrive, they should be given care. No questions asked. Yet, we've been hearing some issues coming up nga kolektahan sila," Martinez said.
In the ordinance, those violating would be suspended for six months.
There are 16 provincial and district hospitals in Cebu Province. Aside from the PHO, the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO) has proposed a P150-million budget, an amount higher than P14.6 million than that of this year.
PSWDO Head Marivic Garces presented to the committee the different programs that will be included to the budget allocation and how it is going to be distributed.
The biggest bulk of proposal worth P63.44 million goes for the welfare of family, women, and children program.
Of the said budget, the top three programs include the Adolescent Health and Youth Development with P2.21 million; Responsible Parenthood – Family Planning with P1.74 million; and Provincial Women's Federation with a budget of P1.47million.
Another bulk is for the Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) which was given P53.5 million.
Garces said that aside from the patients in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), they are now also extending financial assistance to private hospitals under the said program.
On the other hand, the Program for the Welfare of Disabled and Elderly has decreased by P700,000 from its current budget of P30 million.
The three highest allocation went to the Halad sa Gugma Alang kang Lolo ug Lola with P24.15 million; the Centenarian Cash Awards(CCA) with P2.51 million; and the PWD's Livelihood Training for P1 million.
For the Women and Children Development program, the budget was increased by P4.20 million due to the increase in allocation for basic needs.
The My Home – CICL Rehabilitation Center has also increased its budget by P1.01 million from this year's P2.5 million budget.
The program for the Welfare of Out of School Youth asked for P10 million budget. The budget includes P4.68 million for the PAG-ASA Youth Association Skills Training; the PYAP – Technical Vocational Training Program with P4.44; and P800,000 for the Drug Abuse Prevention & Information Education and Communication.