The implementation of the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Care Program, that has already benefitted 22,436 indigent patients, is being mulled for expansion to cover hacienda and farm workers in the province.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Rep. Alfredo Benitez, who distributed NOCHP cards yesterday to beneficiaries in Silay City, said the more Negrenses avail of the program, the better for the province.

Marañon, however, said the payment of premiums will be subsidized by their respective employers, with a counterpart from the provincial government.

“We will create a package that is affordable to their employers,” Benitez said, noting that hacienda and farm workers rely for much of their medical expenses on owners of haciendas.

Marañon said the proposed expansion of NOCHP implementation, which has already enrolled 98,592 families as of Oct. 23, came up, after they received numerous inquiries from the private sector, especially workers in the haciendas, about how to avail of the program.

After more than two years of implementation the NOCHP has enrolled 98,592 families, with beneficiaries estimated at 495,960.

NOCHP reports show that the 3rd district has the most number of enrollees with 35,365 indigent families, followed by the 6th district with 22,038, second district with 21,015, fifth district – 6,914, first district – 6,690 and 6,.570 in the first district.

A total of P56,900,872.75 million had been also spent in the treatment of 22,436 patients, of which P11,354,053 was paid by NOCHP. On the other hand, PhilHealth paid P37,855,716 and P6,661,214 from the Medical Social Service.

Marañon said their target is to enroll 250,000 families in the NOCHP program.

Rep. Julio Ledesma IV (Neg. Occ., 1st district) recently contributed P2.5 million to the NOCHP, while Benitez gave P10 million, a portion of which is being paid to PhilHealth premiums of the third district recipients, Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th district) contributed P6.5 million, and Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2nd district), Rep. Alejandro Mirasol ( Neg. Occ., 5th district) and Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer ( Neg. Occ., 4th district), P5 million each NOCHP records also showed.* GPB

back to top