The Cebu Provincial Government has partnered with 11 private hospitals and two pharmacies to help qualified residents access Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) aid more quickly for medical needs.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro formalized the partnerships on Aug. 14 as the provincial government works to improve the delivery of emergency assistance to residents facing hospitalization and other urgent medical expenses.
Capitol Piso Health Consultant Dr. Nikki Catalan said the partnerships aim to make the assistance process more convenient and reduce delays for beneficiaries.
“This is the direction we are pursuing: better service, more efficient processing, and faster assistance for Cebuanos in crisis,” Catalan said.
Catalan, whom Baricuatro tasked to oversee health reforms, said the initiative forms part of the administration’s broader efforts to improve government services.
Under the provincial AICS program, qualified residents may receive temporary assistance for hospitalization and other medical expenses, as well as burial, transportation, education, food and psychosocial needs.
The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) administers the program. It operates separately from the national AICS program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The 11 hospitals that joined the provincial government’s network are AppleOne-Visayas Medical Center, St. Vincent General Hospital Cebu Inc., University of Cebu Medical Center Inc., Mendero Medical Center Inc., Mactan Doctors Hospital, Deiparine Community Hospital, Cebu Velez General Hospital, Cebu North General Hospital, Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital Inc., Chong Hua Hospital Main and Mandaue, and Cebu South General Hospital.
The Capitol also partnered with 24 Aid Medical Corp. and Bing Pharmacy to assist beneficiaries with medicine-related needs.
The provincial government said the partnerships could help beneficiaries avoid delays when seeking assistance for urgent medical requirements.
Aside from expanding its network of partner establishments, the Capitol is also working to simplify the AICS process, from the submission of requests to the release of assistance.
The provincial government is also introducing digital verification measures to shorten processing time while maintaining safeguards in the distribution of public funds.
Photo courtesy of Cebu City Tour
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