City officials recently requested the Local Finance Committee (LFC) to source out funds for the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of the local legislative body to sustain the implementation of the medical assistance program for indigent patients in the city in partnership with the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) and this must be included in the 2023 Supplemental Annual Investment Program.
Under Resolution No. 245 series of 2023, city legislators stated that though Resolution No. 075, series of 2023, Councilor Maximo H. Edwin was concurred as the city’s IPMR who as member of the council, is qualified to have fund allocation for medical assistance to be given to the city’s indigent patients treated at the BGHMC.
Earlier, Resolution No. 099, series of 2009, prescribed the policies and guidelines on the use of the financial assistance provided to the BGHMC for indigent patients from the city’s 128 barangays and authorized the City Mayor to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the said purpose with the BGHMC embodying the policies and guidelines for the same and the utilization of the said funds.
The council stipulated that the city government shall forward the provided appropriation for medical assistance under the city aid program for this year to the BGHMC to ensure the proper utilization of the said funds purposely as assistance to indigent patients.
City officials earmarked funds from the annual budget of the city government purposely as medical assistance to indigent patients which is lodged with the BGHMC where indigent patients mostly seek assistance to ensure that they will be able to avail of the use of the allocated funds.
Each city official is given a certain amount of funds that should be disposed for medical assistance to indigent patients through the city aid program during the year where it was provided to prevent the funds from being reverted to the general fund if unused.