Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo has called on doctors of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital and the hospital board to address concerns that there will be a shortage of medicines at the hospital once the No Balance Billing (NBB) policy will be implemented.
The NBB program, otherwise known as the National Health Insurance Act, assures the poor and the elderly that all their medical needs are covered by Philhealth when confined in government facilities.
The hospital board confirmed to the Governor that there have been instances when the hospital charged patients for specific procedures or asked them to buy medicines or supplies from other pharmacies due to the lack of medicines at the hospital pharmacy.
Under the “walang dagdag bayad,” the NBB sets as a condition that no direct medical expense shall be exacted from the patient for the duration of the confinement, which in effect makes treatment and care entirely free for the beneficiaries.
Degamo told the media in a press briefing that one of the solutions is to implement a consignment basis for medicines of the hospital system in the province.
Under a consignment purchase order, the vendor allows the medicines to be received by the LGU but the inventory still belongs to the vendor until the product is used and that payment for the product does not occur until the product has been used.
Provincial Board Member Georgita Martinez of the 1st District was tasked by Gov. Degamo to look into the status of the provincial ordinance to this effect to support acquisition of medicines through consignment basis in the entire hospital system of the province.
The decision to implement a consignment basis for medicines was welcomed by suppliers in an audience with the governor after the hospital board meeting. (Juancho Gallarde)
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