MORE NEWS, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

MP solon releases P4M for medical assistance program
BY ROMMEL LENGWA

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Close to P4 million for this year was spent for the free medical assistance program of Rep. Victor S. Dominguez, yearend reports from medical hospitals in Manila and Baguio City revealed. These medical institutions include the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC), National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), and Philippine Heart Center (PHC).

Also this year, medical records showed around 200 patients benefited from the initiative, with the municipality of Bontoc topping the list followed by Sagada, Tadian, Bauko and Sabangan. Funds were used for treatment of ailments like viral maladies, serious operations, organ replacements, chemo-therapy, laboratory tests, maintenance medication, and confinements and medical bills.

Some patient-beneficiaries were allotted as high as P 200,000 while others as low as P 700. According to Jet Dominguez, official point person of the congressman here, the list sent him did not indicate all beneficiaries given medical assistance. “ We will also try to review and retrieve the lists of the other beneficiaries in the previous years not merely for records purposes but also for us to be able to follow up their individual present status, ” he said.

As of press time, one Antonio Pat-ogan of Ili, Bontoc reported his son who was diagnosed with kidney problems and confined at the BGHMC was the latest beneficiary of the said program. “It has been a great relief on our part as parents because with the kind of illness that demands a very expensive hospitalization, the free medical assistance program of the congressman goes a long way,” he said before he rushed to send the congressional authorization to the concerned hospital before his son was scheduled to be discharged this week.

During the latest national political exercise, the older Dominguez promised that in his remaining terms as congressman, he will continue and allocate more funds for free hospitalization and tertiary educational programs of his office.