DAVAO CITY - Patients with moderate to severe cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Kidapawan City will be given a subsidy by the city government of Kidapawan starting Tuesday (June 15).
The city government said this is part of the One Hospital Command System (OHCS), a partnership between the city government of Kidapawan and private hospitals in the city. Mayor Joseph A. Evangelista signed on Monday (June 14) an agreement with the chief of hospitals of various medical institutions in Kidapawan for the subsidy program
In a statement, Evangelista said only residents of Kidapawan City will be given subsidies, particularly those who are having difficulties in paying for medical expenses, and assured the public that there will be hospitals that will cater to them in Kidapawan City.
Under the said agreement, the city government will shoulder the expenses of COVID-19 patients in the following hospitals: Kidapawan City Hospital; Kidapawan Doctors Hospital Inc; Kidapawan Midway Hospital Inc; Madonna Medical Center, and Kidapawan Medical Specialist Center.
The city government will provide a P100,000 subsidy for COVID-19 patients belonging to low-income or indigent to middle-income brackets; while a P50,000 subsidy will be provided for patients who belong to the upper-income class who will be admitted to the said hospitals.
"Makakatulong ito ng malaki lalo pa at punuan na ang mga malalaking pagamutan ng Covid19 tulad ng Cotabato Regional Medical Center o CRMC sa Cotabato City at Southern Philippines Medical Center o SPMC sa kasalukuyan (This will help a lot especially the medical big hospitals catering to COVID-19 cases, like the CRMC in Cotabato City and the SPMC in Davao City).
As of Monday, Kidapawan City has recorded eight new cases and nine recoveries bringing the total number of active cases in the city to 170. Kidapawan has so far recorded a total of 756 confirmed cases, 553 recoveries, and 33 deaths.
The occupancy rate of Kidapawan City's COVID-19 isolation facilities is at 79%. Evangelista said they will also utilize the Kidapawan City Pilot Elementary School as an additional isolation facility to be fully operational within the week.