MOA to benefit indigents in Kalibo

By Venus G. Villanueva

Friday 17th of August 2012

KALIBO, Aklan, Aug 17 (PIA) -- Kalibo’s indigents will now have easy access to x-ray and other health services through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to be signed soon by Mayor William Lachica and representatives of the Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital (DRSTMH).

Kalibo’s Sangguniang Bayan approved a resolution authorizing Lachica to enter into the MOA for the Referral Facility System on Outsourced Services.

Under the MOA, Kalibo’s indigents seeking consultation in the municipality’s Rural Health Units (RHUs), especially those who needs chest x-ray, will be referred to the DRSTMH for the needed service.

In this arrangement, the local government of Kalibo will be the one to pay for the services to the DRSTMH, with the fees to be taken from PhilHealth through the capitation fund.

The capitation fund, the local government unit (LGU) of Kalibo said, is the fund downloaded to LGUs for the purchase of medicines, supplies and equipment but for now will be utilized as Family Reimbursement Fee Fund.

The MOA seeks to address additional laboratory services for the National Household Targeting System (NHTS) member families which the RHU could not provide.

Presently, Kalibo has already a medical technologist and sputum examination services, thus it could perform basic laboratory examinations.

It will be only when the sputum examination results turn negative for tuberculosis that the RHU would refer patients to the DRSTMH.

Kalibo’s health officials said the MOA will be a great help to indigents as simple chest x-rays and basic laboratory examinations are very expensive if obtained from private hospitals or clinics. (JSC/VGV-PIA6 Aklan)