NORTHERN Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) medical specialist Dr. Bernard Rocha said that while the hospital did receive P150.2 million from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation's (PhilHealth's) interim reimbursement mechanism (IRM), they still do not have the permission or guidelines on how to use it.
The NMMC is among the top 10 recipients of PhilHealth's IRM, a mechanism that disburses advance payments to hospitals.
Rocha said the P150.2 million is meant to be used for the operations of NMMC and general services.
"This money is meant para sa atong mga operations of the hospital. Dawbi naigo man ta sa Covid, then we have all those things that are happening sa among hospital," Rocha said.
"However, we are in communication gihapon with the PhilHealth so that moabot ang guidelines ana then among gamiton na siya for our general services," he added.
Hospitals that have so far received IRMs are the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City (P336 million); University of the Philippines (UP)-Philippine General Hospital in Manila (P263.3 million); Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City (P209 million); Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City (P204 million); Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital in City of San Fernando (P201 million); National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City (P179 million); Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center in Baguio City (P165 million); Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City (P150 million); and Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City (P146.2 million).
Meanwhile, more than 100 job orders and casuals of NMMC were given their hazard pay and special risk allowance in full from March to August 2020.
Representative Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro has filed a House resolution calling for the Department of Health (DOH) to already download the funds to government hospitals to give the hazard pay and special risk allowance to all public health workers as mandated by Bayanihan 1, Republic Act 11469 or the "We Heal as One Act."
Rufus expressed his gratitude to DOH Secretary Francisco Duque and hoped that Bayanihan 2 or "We Recover as One Act" will be properly implemented to stimulate the fast economic recovery of the country.