Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, through the Charity Assistance Department, reported on Monday the agency helped 16,541 patients with medical assistance worth P518 million in June, an increase of 18.7 percent compared with the same period last year.
“The agency has already spent P518,626,694 million, an increase of 13 percent compared with the same period last year,” said PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan.
The top three natures of requests include confinement with 5,120 patients, an increase 18.4 percent compared with the same period last year; request for medicines with 5,088 patients at 19.4 percent; and chemotherapy with 3,582 patients at 13.2 percent.
“As for spending, the agency already spent P194,466,480 million for confinement, P160,590,803 million for chemotherapy, P84,478,960 million for requests for medicines, P47,684,600 million for implant/prosthesis/medical devices, and P19,502,851 million for laboratory and diagnostic procedures,” Balutan added.
Other requests include radiation treatment, surgery, laser treatment, medical appliances, dialysis (hemodialysis and peritoneal), blood, and others.
The PCSO Charter, or RA 1169, particularly on revenue allocation, provides that the revenue of the PCSO shall be allocated to 55 percent for prize fund (payment of prizes), 30 percent for charity fund (various charity programs and service) and 15 percent as the operating fund (maintenance and operating expenses).
“Thirty percent of PCSO revenues automatically goes to the Charity Fund, which pays for the free hospitalization and medicines of indigent patients and other medical services such as chemo and dialysis treatments, among others,” Balutan said.
“That is why sales coming from Lotto, digit games, and Small Town Lottery games are very important. The higher the sales, the more we can help many people,” he added.