MindaNews » South Cotabato taps NGO for cheaper meds.

By Allen V. Estabillo
February 24, 2012

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/23 February) – The provincial government of South Cotabato has linked up with a local non-government organization to help provide cheaper medicine packages for various surgical and medical needs of poor residents in the area.

South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said they forged an agreement with the Dole Philippines-funded Mahintana Foundation to allow the group to supply P1.7 million worth of surgical and medicine packages for the use of poor patients of the South Cotabato Provincial Hospital in nearby Koronadal City.

“This is to ensure the availability of ready and cheaper medicine packs for the surgical and medical operations that would be availed by our poor patients,” he told reporters.

Under the program, Pingoy said Mahintana will provide medicine packages for surgeries and other hospital services involving beneficiaries of the indigency program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth.

He said the cost of the medicine packs would be charged directly by the hospital to PhilHealth and the patients would not be paying anything upon availing them.

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