Medical fund for 1st dist. stable

INDIGENTS from the first district of Cebu will continue to receive help from the Gullas Medical Assistance Fund (GMAF) because they have no debt to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) and they still have a balance of roughly P3 million for disposal.

Rep. Eduardo R. Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) made the announcement in response to the questions about the reports that VSMMC stopped accepting patients referred by the Cebu Provincial Government because of unpaid bills. .

“We are very much in the black. We are not in the red. Our indigent patients will continue to receive P5,000 each,” Gullas said.

Gullas said he was informed by the doctor who is handling and managing the medical assistance program that several patients availed themselves of the dialysis service.

“We have to look into the matter because dialysis will cost about P2,500 per session. Imagine if all the patients will undergo dialysis twice a week, our funds will be depleted immediately and we can no longer help the others,” Gullas said.

GMAF was created by former congressman Jose “Dodong” R. Gullas who saw the need to help the poor people during hospitalization.

“Dodong Gullas initiated it. I just continue it with greater vigor because we have quite a number of indigents in the first district of Cebu,” Gullas said.

Under the GMAF, a patient shall be recommended by a barangay captain for identification and checking the address.

“As long as a patient is indigent, and recommended by his barangay captain, he can avail himself of the Gullas Medical Assistance Fund regardless of political affiliation,” Gullas said.

At one time, Gullas allocated P5 million for the medical fund to accommodate more beneficiaries.

He said every illness is an emergency case that needs emergency response and the way to help people immediately is through GMAF.