The Department of Health (DOH) has assured the public that all individuals injured in the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu on Tuesday night will receive necessary medical assistance.
During the Senate budget deliberations on Wednesday, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said that the DOH has coordinated with PhilHealth to ensure that earthquake victims will be covered under the zero-balance billing. This means patients will not have to pay any additional charges for treatment.
According to RH Raymund Dadpaas' reports, Herbosa emphasized that even private hospitals will accommodate patients under this arrangement, similar to the government’s approach during Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013.
“Actually asked our PhilHealth president to issue a similar issuance that we issued during the Typhoon Haiyan, wherein all of this patient will be covered on a No Balance Billing with Philhealth para pati ‘yung mga casualties sa earthquake makapunta sa private hospital and then ma-treat sila,” Herbosa explained.
The health chief also announced that the DOH will take over the operations of the Provincial Hospital in Bogo to address the surge in medical needs.
Additional personnel from the 83 hospitals managed by the DOH nationwide will be deployed to Cebu to strengthen essential health services.
To further support recovery, Herbosa said the DOH will also send psychosocial and mental health teams from the National Center for Mental Health to provide assistance to traumatized victims.
“I will be sending and deploying mental health psychosocial team from our national center from mental health,” he said.
He recalled that a similar six-month hospital takeover was carried out in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda when local governments struggled to manage overwhelmed health facilities.
"Depending on the reports what happened in a massive earthquake or like Typhoon Haiyan magnitude is that we can takeover the DOH mandated by law to be able to take over all health facilities in the area to operate it. Ginawa po natin ito for 6 months in Typhoon Haiyan also we alook at Bogo, hirap na hirap talaga ‘yung LGU. Itetake-over namin ‘yung provincial then we will take our teams from the 83 hospitals to help support essential services,” he added.
The DOH assured the public that it is closely monitoring the situation and is committed to ensuring that all victims receive both immediate and long-term medical and psychological care.
