Employees at the Laoag City General Hospital (LCGH) are set to receive their subsistence and laundry allowances this month, covering the period from January to December 2024. This announcement comes after a long wait, as the last time these benefits were disbursed was in July 2018. LCGH accountant Edgar Pascual shared that approximately PHP1.469 million will be distributed among around 80 eligible staff members.
The hospital’s financial struggles, which saw annual net losses of about PHP50 million from 2017 to 2022, had previously prevented the payment of these allowances. However, improvements in the hospital’s financial situation in 2024 have made this possible. The turnaround is attributed to support from the national government and the Department of Health, which provided funding for new medical equipment under the Medical Assistance for Indigent Program and Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
Additionally, the city government of Laoag has contributed significantly, offering a PHP28-million subsidy for hospital operations and a PHP20-million subsidy for medicine and medical supplies. These funds have enabled the hospital to enhance its services, including hiring more doctors and extending the Outpatient Department’s hours from Monday to Saturday. New equipment, such as a CT scan and a portable X-ray machine, has also been installed to attract more patients.
Edgar Pascual credited the full support of the Laoag City Government and the leadership of Mayor Michael Marcos Keon for these improvements and the ability to finally provide the long-awaited allowances to the hospital’s dedicated staff.