RP cops assured of medical services from 38 DOH hospitals all over the country

By Ronron
October 8, 2007

Philippine cops may now avail of the services of 38 tertiary hospitals of the Department of Health (DOH) nationwide following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Monday morning between the DOH, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

According to PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr., the policemen need not worry also of their medical expenses at these hospitals because the MOA provides that funding for these from the PNP will be channeled directly to the hospitals, through the DOH.

“This signing of memorandum of agreement is our prerequisite to achieve a long-term and lasting accessibility of health services in the PNP being implemented in line with the PNP Integrated Transformation Program that aims to resolve organizational dysfunctions and improve quality of police services and strengthen law enforcement capabilities,” Razon said.

Asigned from Razon, signatories to the MOA were DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno, and DOH Undersecretary Margarita Galon.

Razon disclosed that currently, the PNP only has one tertiary hospital where its personnel can avail of free services. It is the PNP General Hospital inside Camp Crame, Quezon City while the rest go to 16 dispensaries spread all over the country.

But following the MOA signing, the PNP chief said ill cops from the provinces, especially from the south, need not fly to Metro Manila to avail of free hospitalization at the PNP General Hospital.

This will also lessen the patients at the PNP General Hospital, which has only 300 beds. The PNP has an estimated strength of 120,000.

Razon said the PNP currently has a 200-million peso budget for medical services for its personnel, and they intend to increase it in the coming years so as to address not just the hospital expenses of ill personnel but also to upgrade its hospital and dispensary equipment and facilities.

Razon said the health service program, dubbed as Pulis Health Mo Okay, covers all types of illnesses of policemen, even those that are not immediately known as work-related.

Based on statistics, the most common illnesses of policemen are hypertension and other cardio-vascular disorders, and kidney problems, Razon said./DMS