MANILA, Philippines – INANUNSYO ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) na inilabas na nito ang P27.410 bilyong halaga ng medical assistance para sa indigent at financially incapacitated ng mga Filipino sa buong bansa.
Gagamitin ang pondo para suportahan ang patuloy na implementasyon ng Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) Program ng Department of Health (DOH).
Sa ilalim ng programa, binibigyan ng tulong ang mga pasyenteng hindi buong mabayaran ang kanilang gatusin sa pagpapagamot at iba pang medical services lalo na ang mga pamilyang nahihirapan sa gastusin ng kanilang pagkakaospital, medisina, emergency treatment, professional fees sa doktor at iba pang pangangailangang pangkalusugan.
“The P27.4 billion we are releasing is meant to translate into real help at the hospital level—medicines that can be bought, procedures that can be performed, and medical bills that families do not have to shoulder on their own. This is a substantial investment, but its true value will be measured by the number of Filipinos it is able to help,” ayon kay Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon.
Sinasabing, malaking bahagi ng pondo ay mapupunta sa Centers for Health Development (CHDs) para suportahan ang paghahatid ng medical assistance sa pamamagitan ng kanilang partner local government hospitals, privately owned institutions at iba pang health facilities sa bansa
Susuportahan din ng pondo ang mga DoH hospital sa Metro Manila at iba pang rehiyon, GOCC Specialty Hospitals, the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), at Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers at maging ang pagpapatupad ng eMAIFIP sa pamamagitan ng eGovPH superapp, alinsunod sa DOH guidelines at Presidential Directive No. PBBM-2026-1881-1886, habang ang gobyerno ay kumikilos upang gawing more accessible ang medical assistance sa pamamagitan ng digital channels.
“Medical need does not recognize geography or income. Whether a patient is in Metro Manila or in the provinces, government assistance should be within reach. That is why the bulk of this funding will flow through our Centers for Health Development and partner facilities across the country, so that help is available closer to where our people actually live and seek treatment,” ang winika ng Kalihim.
“We also want to make getting government assistance less burdensome. A patient or a family already dealing with illness should not have to navigate an unnecessarily difficult process just to seek help. With eMAIFIP, we are supporting a system that is more accessible, more efficient, and more responsive to the people who need it,” ayon kay De Leon. KRIS JOSE
