THE Cagayan de Oro City Council has passed an ordinance that provides medical assistance for indigent patients at the city-run JR Borja General Hospital.

The ordinance, passed last week, authorizes Mayor Oscar Moreno to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Health (DOH)-Northern Mindanao.

Councilor Maria Lourdes Gaane, chairperson of the committee on health, said this is in line with the City Government's program that aims to provide the best health care services to the city's indigent patients.

Under the memorandum, the DOH shall transfer funds for medical assistance to JR Borja General Hospital worth P875,000 or 50 percent of the allotted amount, encode the approved medical assistance using the Enhanced Web-Based Public Assistance Information, and conduct monitoring to ensure compliance of the guidelines set by both government entities, among others.

The city hospital, meanwhile, shall conduct assessment and evaluation of the eligibility of the patients. The city will also ensure the availability of medicines and other health care services needed by the indigent patients.

Providing better and improved delivery of health care and medical services to benefit especially indigent patients with PhilHealth card at the city hospital, is one of Moreno's campaign promise when he got elected in 2013.

The city hospital already has cancer detection center, which officials considered a milestone for the city hospital, as it strives to serve not only for the people in the city but also for the whole region.

With the city hospital earning increasing revenues, it was able to expand with the establishment of the north wing and east wing buildings.