BARMM lawmakers file bill to establish medical assistance program for indigent patients

BARMM lawmakers file bill to establish medical
assistance program for indigent patients.

COTABATO CITY—To address the healthcare needs of indigent patients residing in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, lawmakers have introduced Parliament Bill No. 294, or the Bangsamoro Medical Assistance Program for Indigent Patients Act.

PB No. 294 seeks to provide financial aid to underprivileged patients, enabling them to access necessary medical treatments in both public and private healthcare facilities.

Member of Parliament Amilbahar Mawallil, one of the bill’s main authors, highlighted the financial constraints faced by a substantial portion of BARMM’s population, which limit their access to healthcare services.

Mawallil emphasized that the lack of specialized treatments or unavailable services in public healthcare institutions forced many indigent patients to seek medical care in private hospitals.

The proposed measure aims to bridge the financial gap, ensuring that indigent patients can receive quality medical care.

“By establishing a targeted medical assistance program, we aim to facilitate and enhance access to quality health and medical services, ensuring that no individual is left behind in their pursuit of necessary and life-changing medical interventions,” said Mawallil.

The assistance program will cover hospitalization expenses, medications, and other medical treatments or procedures such as implants, common laboratory tests, and diagnostic imaging procedures for any illness or ailment, including postpartum complications, as well as the provision of assistive devices.

However, the program will not cover healthcare expenses unrelated to medical treatment or aftercare, such as immunization, birthing, and the purchase of vitamins and other supplements.

To avail of the program, applicants must be bona fide residents of the BARMM with insufficient financial resources to cover necessary medical care costs.

A Social Services Desk (SSD) will be established in every hospital within the region to assist indigent patients and their families in availing of the program.

The bill’s principal authors are MPs Atty. Rasol Mitmug Jr., Dr. Hashemi Dilangalen, and Hamid Malik, with co-authors Atty. Laisa Alamia, Atty. Suharto Ambolodto, Engr. Don Mustapha Loong, Engr. Baintan Ampatuan, and Rasul Ismael. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)