A ‘special health fund’ for Cagayan de Oro City’s public health institutions is seen to beef up City Hall’s implementation of Republic Act 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act, an administration councilor said yesterday.
“I thank the 20th City Council for approving the ‘Special Health Fund’, which is a trust fund. Unlike before when there is (a) separate (allocation of funds) for (the city-owned) JR Borja General Hospital, the City Health Office, etc., this (centralized) trust fund will be able to (allocate support to these institutions),” Councilor Maria Lourdes Gaane said on Wednesday’s ‘Ang Inyong Konseho Karon’ program hosted by the City Information Office.
Gaane said under this setup, funding provided by Pagcor and PhilHealth and other grants will be placed into the centralized special health fund.
“The fund will be managed by the city mayor together with the Department of Health, the Department of Interior and Local Governments, and other concerned agencies,” the councilor said.
Gaane, who chairs the 20th City Council’s health services and health insurance committee, said this will be a ‘big fund’ that can provide support to the city’s health care system in light of the city’s designation as one of the country’s 55 pilot sites for the Universal Health Care Act.
“Unlike before when JRBGH or CHO would run out of budget for medicines, this ‘trust fund’ will be able to provide support,” she said.
Gaane said City Hall is leveling up their efforts in the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act despite delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Despite the delays, I’m thankful to City Hall under Mayor (Rolando) Uy we’re able to set up seven consultation service providers of which the latest is in Barangay Tablon,” she said.
These consultation providers or ‘E-Konsulta’ centers will also conduct profiling of each patient it services in order to establish the database for the city’s health care referral system, Gaane explained.
“Eventually years from now, the government will restrict implementation of the health care act in such a way that patients will usually be referred to the hospitals in areas where they were profiled,” she said. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
