Senator Erwin Tulfo is demanding an explanation from the Department of Health (DOH) over its alleged failure to issue guarantee letters (GLs) to indigent patients, even those seeking treatment at public hospitals.

In a recent interview, Tulfo revealed that several financially disadvantaged individuals referred by his office to the DOH for medical assistance were turned away and told to “come back another day.”

“May isang pasyente na nais magpapagamot sa Philippine Heart Center tapos sinabihan na ‘bumalik na lang sa ibang araw (One patient needed treatment at the Philippine Heart Center but was just told to return on a different day),” Tulfo said.

He added that a similar case occurred at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), where another indigent patient was told to “just wait for now.”

“Magsabi kayo DOH kung wala na kayong pondo para hindi umasa ang mga tao. Hindi rin nila ginustong magkasakit sila kaya wag na sana dagdagan yung paghihirap (DOH, if you’ve run out of funds, be honest about it so people don’t continue to hope. These patients didn’t choose to get sick, don’t make things even harder for them,” Tulfo lamented. 

Tulfo also questioned how the funds for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program were being managed, noting that both the Senate and the House had approved what he described as a sufficient budget for it.

The neophyte senator further cited growing concerns that the DOH may indeed be facing financial constraints. 

This follows reports from private hospitals in Region IV-A, particularly in Batangas, that the DOH owes them approximately P530 million.

These hospitals have recently announced they would no longer accept GLs unless the outstanding debt is paid.

“We want answers. Where did the money go? Was it squandered during the elections? Or were the MAIFIP funds simply mismanaged?” Tulfo asked.