STARTING this month, Cebu’s biggest public hospital will provide free services for patients with emergency cases, a program that is estimated to cost P5 million a month.
In a press conference yesterday, Dr. Gerardo Aquino, chief of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), also explained changes that were adopted to heed President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to reduce long lines in government offices and facilities.
These changes are taking place amid familiar challenges like overcrowding, which sometimes means that patients’ beds are placed in hallways and lobbies.
“Our policy is to accept all patients who want to be admitted. We don’t say no to incoming patients because we want them to get well even if they have to be accommodated anywhere inside the hospital,” Dr. Aquino said.
When the hospital’s capacity was 500 beds, it had 1,200 personnel. Its capacity has been adjusted to 1,200 beds, but for now, it has the same number of workers.
Often, the hospital serves more patients than it has beds for.
“To alleviate the situation, we expanded the services of the Out-Patient Department (OPD) from 5 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.,” the hospital chief said.
The free services in the emergency department include laboratory fees and the cost of medicines and procedures.
Dr. Aquino issued Hospital Order No. 1216, series of 2016 last Aug. 23, in line with the health agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Free emergency care services began last Sept. 1.
From January to June 2016, the hospital also provided P209 million worth of quantified free services (QFS) for all patients. Such services amounted to P229.8 million in the entire 2013; P199.7 million in 2014; and P311.6 million in 2015.
Dr. Aquino said that these services account for about 25 percent of the total bills and the rest were paid for by other agencies like the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and medical assistance.
“We render medical services to all who come to us,” Aquino said. He pointed out that while they are renovating some wards, the hospital decided to keep up its dental services by using a bus.
Among the changes, he also said, is a shorter evaluation process for patients.
“I told the social worker that we should not be strict in classification because if we see that the patients are poor, they are really poor and can hardly pay for hospital bills. We should help them,” Aquino said.
At the OPD, the hospital administration has assigned a cashier, social workers and other staff so that patients will just transact in one area.
“We have express lanes for pregnant women and senior citizens in the OPD,” Aquino also said.
As for those treated in the emergency room, a simplified medical social services process means that a patient will not have to pay.
“The patients will just sign a statement that they got medical services but they did not pay. I issued the order last August and it began to be implemented last Sept. 1,” Aquino said.
Aquino also arranged for four pharmacies, including one in front of the emergency room and operating room, so patients who are in serious condition can be treated rapidly.
“We are trying to answer the call of President Duterte to eradicate queuing,” Aquino said.