Cebu hospitals told to ensure accessible emergency healthcare services

Local

THE Cebu Provincial Government has ordered all its 16 provincial and district hospitals, including its medical, ancillary, and administrative personnel, to strengthen patient welfare and ensure equal access to emergency healthcare services.

Gov. Pamela Baricuatro issued an Executive Order (EO) institutionalizing policies to protect patients in line with the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law (R.A. No. 10932).

Under the newly issued EO of the governor, Capitol-run hospitals are mandated to ensure prompt and professional medical attention to all patients for emergency and serious cases, including all available diagnostic, medical-surgical, and obstetric treatment.

"No patient shall be unjustly deprived of available government health services or referred to private health facilities in a manner that results in out-of-pocket expenses," read EO No. 42 dated July 23, 2026.

One of the provisions emphasized in the EO is the prohibition for Capitol-run hospitals to demand, solicit, or accept any deposit or advance payment as a precondition for administering basic emergency care and medical treatment to patients, particularly in emergency cases.

The governor ordered that the patient must be stabilized and treated first before proceeding with the billing.

Capitol-run healthcare facilities must ensure that there are available personnel to access, verify, and process Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) records, claims processing, admissions, among others.

It also requires that active PhilHealth members be treated under the No Balance Billing policy.

"No payments shall be collected from active PhilHealth members for any excess amount of the hospital bill, subject to applicable PHIC issuances," the order states.

This means that the Chief of Hospital must establish a shifting or on-call schedule with designated backup personnel to ensure that access to the PHIC verification system is available 24/7, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

This is to ensure there is no delay in patient assessment.

As to the indigent and unregistered patients, they must be endorsed to the medical social workers to avail themselves of all applicable financial assistance programs.

The EO requires the 16 Capitol-operated hospitals to maintain enough supplies of medicines, medical supplies, and diagnostic services to ensure continuous treatment of patients within the facility.

Hospital personnel found to be violating the order will be subject to appropriate administrative and legal sanctions under the Civil Service Commission's rules and applicable laws.(MyTVCebu)