To ensure that more indigent patients can access free medicines and medical services provided for by the Lingap at Gabay Para sa May Sakit or Lingap sa Masa Program, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the City Government of Manila to increase the number of hospitals implementing the program in the city.

The agreement was signed by DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco , DSWD Field Office-NCR Director Vincent Andrew Leyson , Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and officials from the Ospital ng Maynila, Ospital ng Sta. Ana , Ospital ng Tondo, Ospital ng Sampaloc, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital, and Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center.

Aside from free medicines, indigent patients may also access free medical services and medical needs such as assistive devices, prosthetics, and laboratory procedures in the six new government partner-hospitals.

DSWD OIC Leyco said that with the expansion of participating government hospitals, there will be a higher turnout of patients able to secure free medicines and medical services in public hospitals.

“Medical needs are part of the basic necessities of poor Filipinos; since we expect that the implementation of the TRAIN Law will affect them, the government is ready to respond and help through Lingap sa Masa,” said the OIC.

“We are also aware that being one of the most populated cities in the country, Manila is also a city that  requires more public hospitals that can attend to the health and medical needs of its population. This is one of the reasons why we are expanding the coverage of Lingap sa Masa in Manila – so more Manilenos can benefit from it, especially those who do not have the means to buy medicine or pay for urgent but expensive medical treatments.”

“With new partner hospitals assisting us in the implementation of the program, we  hope that more indigent citizens will have access to it so they can meet their medical needs. In the meantime, the Department is also doing its best to widen the scope of Lingap’s implementation in other provinces and regions so that we can serve more poor Filipinos in need of medical assistance,” he said.

As of February 23, 2018, the Lingap sa Masa has already served 56,010 indigent patients in the following government hospitals: The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH); Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital (JBLMH); Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC); Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC); Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC); and Davao Regional Hospital (DRH).

Those who are interested may avail of the program by providing the following requirements:

1) Any valid identification card (ID) of the patient or his/her representative;

2) Written authorization letter signed by the patient in favor of the representative;

3) Proof of indigency or certificate issued by the barangay or medical social service of the identified hospital; and

4) Doctor’s prescription issued within the last three months with the date, name of the patient, signature of the attending physician with his/her license number and contact details.

Endorsement letters from local officials are not required but will be acknowledged if presented.

For inquiries, indigent patients can approach the social workers assigned to the partner- hospitals. ###