BACOLOD City – The city council is appealing to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to reconsider reduction in the budget of the medical assistance program allocated to the city and Negros Occidental province.
Councilor Caesar Distrito said they recently passed a resolution asking the PCSO to reconsider the reduction of financial assistance or at least to retain the allocation.
On April 15, the reduction of the allocation for medical assistance for indigent patients provided by PCSO in Bacolod and Negros Occidental took effect.
According to Distrito, PCSO’s previous P211.2-million budget was slashed to P133.056 million, or a decrease of P78.144 million.
“The decrease will certainly affect thousands of indigent patients who greatly depend their medical needs to the assistance provided by PCSO, particularly those who undergo dialysis or chemotherapy,” the outgoing councilor stressed.
Distrito reiterated the implementation of the reduction is not timely and unjust for those who primarily depend on the assistance.
He added the beneficiaries will have a hard time finding means to cover up their medical needs.
“The city council earnestly appeal to the PCSO to reconsider its move to reduce the allocation and the allocation given last year must be retained to spare the indigent patients who depend on it from carrying so much burden,” said Distrito./PN
