Batac city: The Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMH and MC) in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, has been successfully implementing a zero-balance billing program for select patients over the past six years. This initiative, according to Dr. Maria Lourdes Otayza, the medical center chief, aligns with instructions given to all Department of Health (DOH) hospitals, though many have struggled to comply.

According to Philippines News Agency, the program applies specifically to patients confined in wards or basic accommodations. Dr. Otayza highlighted that the zero-balance billing has significantly benefited indigent patients, cancer patients, and those undergoing dialysis. “We have become a magnet for cancer treatment and dialysis because the patients know we give it free,” she explained during the National Hospital Week celebration.

Dr. Otayza further mentioned that with the implementation of the Universal Health Care program, MMMH and MC is expanding its services to other areas in the province. This expansion involves establishing urgent care centers to alleviate patient congestion at the main hospital.

For Mylene Aguilar, a breast cancer patient from Barangay 3, the zero-balance billing program has been a vital service. “This is a big help for us, and it continues to inspire us to keep going,” she expressed. Diagnosed with cancer in 2023, Aguilar appreciates the hospital’s comprehensive cancer benefit package, which covers outpatient and inpatient services, including diagnostics, therapeutic procedures, medicines, treatments, and other care-related components.

To access the cancer benefit package, patients must register under the Cancer Assistance Fund of the DOH. Aguilar noted that while treatments and medicines are generally free, exceptions occur if certain medications are unavailable at the hospital pharmacy.

The MMMH and MC is one of the 31 DOH-designated cancer treatment sites, providing free screenings and consultations to promote early cancer detection and improve treatment outcomes.