By Jonathan Hicap

The family of a confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient in Muntinlupa is appealing to President Duterte for help as their hospital bill has already reached P1.44 million in just one week.

COVID-19 patient Lito Mercado, 60, is under intensive care at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Alabang. His eldest son also tested positive for the virus but has been cleared of the disease and is now under home quarantine to be tested again after 14 days.

Mercado’s other son, Joseph, told Manila Bulletin that his father was admitted at Asian Hospital on March 24 and was confirmed positive for the virus on March 25. From March 24 to 30, his hospital bill amounted to P1.44 million and is still growing.

Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) President Ricardo Morales announced on March 26 during a televised briefing that the agency will pay for the medical expenses of all COVID-19 patients in the country.

“Babayaran ng PhilHealth ang mga medical expenses nila, especially yung ating mga public health workers,” said Morales.

However, the Mercado family was told by a PhilHealth representative that the expenses that would be covered only by the agency are P32,000 for severe pneumonia and P14,000 for the isolation room, and there are no new guidelines to cover all the bills.

“Ang direction ng mga news ay kapag COVID-19 patient, dapat wala nang sasagutin. Kasi nasa ICU pa rin yung dad ko. At least para hindi na namin isipin yung expenses kasi what if maka-recover siya in the next two days tapos ganon na yung bill, baka ma-hold pa si father bago pa siya makalabas,” Joseph said.

He added, “Nag-reach ako through PhilHealth sa hospital. Wala pa rin daw ding talagang direction sa kanila. P46,000 pa rin: P32,000 for pneumonia and 14,000 for the isolation room.”

President Duterte signed Republic Act 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act” on March 24 that gives him special powers to address the COVID-19 crisis.

Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon backed the Mercado family’s appeal, saying that Section 4(b) of the law provides that “the cost of treatment for COVID-19 patients shall be covered by the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.”

“This is provided by the government as a means of assisting those who are stricken by the illness. Being a new infectious disease, it is understandable that specialized treatment is needed and that as part of government’s obligation to protect the people from public health threats, assisting those who acquire the infectious disease becomes part of the government’s duty to address the threat. Therefore, helping the patients bear the cost of treatment is justifiable,” he said.

Mercado is one of the 34 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Muntinlupa and one of the 2,084 cases in the country as of March 31.

He is a retired overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was given the “Philippines Hero Award for 1998” by the Bagong Bayani (New Hero) Foundation for his support and help to fellow OFWs.

According to Joseph, his father had cough on March 15 or 16. On March 18, Mercado and his eldest son had a swab test at Asian Hospital and lab results showed that the elder Mercado had pneumonia and he was given medication.

“A week after, mga March 24, napansin namin parang hindi bumubuti yung lagay nya kaya kami nagdecide ulit na dalhin sya sa ospital,” he said.

Mercado was admitted at a local hospital but the facility was not capable of intubating him for COVID-19-related symptoms and his oxygen level was too low at 53 percent. The hospital called other hospitals for Mercado’s transfer.

Joseph said all the hospitals they called were unable to admit his dad as they were in full capacity. They decided to discharge their dad from the hospital and tried their luck at Asian Hospital, which, fortunately, took him in.

He is appealing to Duterte to set out clear guidelines regarding the government’s policy on the medical expenses of COVID-19 patients.

“Magkaroon na po ng clear guidelines, providing support sa COVID-19 patients. For sure, hindi lang kami yung ganito ang situation so para at least, mag-increase ang awareness sa lahat na hindi na intindihin ng mga families ang other hospital expenses at magfocus na lang sa recovery,” Joseph said.