The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) recently donated more than P3.41 million worth of medicines and relief goods to five government hospitals in Metro Manila and victims of the recent flooding in Manila and Mindanao.

The Pasay City General Hospital, Sta. Ana Hospital, Ospital ng Tondo, Ospital ng Maynila, and Florencio V. Bernabe Sr. Memorial Hospital received more than P2.11 million worth of medicines for its indigent patients. The items donated by PAGCOR included medicines for upper respiratory tract infections, fever and some multivitamins.

The donations are part of PAGCOR’s Corporate Social Responsibility programs aimed at bringing basic social services closer to the Filipino masses.

According to Dr. Jaime Sy, Director of Pasay City General Hospital (PCGH), the medicines donated by PAGCOR will greatly help the less privileged residents of Pasay City.

Sy said up to 700 patients are expected to benefit from the medicines given by PAGCOR.   The PCGH was the first recipient of a series of medicine donations initiated by the Corporation.  “Maraming salamat sa PAGCOR at tinutulungan nyo kaming pagsilbihan ang aming constituents. Ito ay napakahalaga lalo ngayong tag-ulan kung saan uso ang respiratory tract diseases.” he said.

Ospital ng Tondo Chief Isaias Cando also lauded PAGCOR for augmenting their supply of medicines for up to four months. “It means a lot to the hospital because we cater not only to the needs of indigents from Tondo but also to poor residents from neighboring cities,” he said. With an average number of 200 to 250 outpatients daily, the hospital official said PAGCOR’s medicine donation will enable them to provide indigent patients with starter dose of medicines for two days.

The Sta. Ana Hospital also needs additional medicine supply because of the volume of patients who seek medical attention. Almost 1,000 outpatients are being served by the hospital every day, said Hospital Director Mario Lato.

Lato explained that although a government facility, their newly-built ten-storey tertiary hospital is designed to provide indigent patients with quality healthcare, similar to the treatment being given in private hospitals. “We would like to thank PAGCOR for these donations. Malaking tulong ito sa mga indigent patients namin,” Lato added.

Another hospital in Metro Manila that received medicine donations from PAGCOR was the Florencio V. Bernabe Sr. Memorial Hospital. Officer-in-charge Dr. Renato Bernabe said ward patients and those from the emergency room will benefit much from the donation.

Malaya Capulong, chief administrative officer of the Ospital ng Maynila also commended PAGCOR for giving them a supply of medicine for at least two months. “Almost 90% of the hospital patients come from low-income households. With this donation, we can provide medicines for up to 200 outpatients daily.”

The hospital officials are likewise grateful that through the income share given by PAGCOR to its host cities, their public hospitals get additional budget for hospital equipment and maintenance. “The funds we get from PAGCOR greatly help in the carrying out city projects, which include better health services for our constituents,” said Pasay City Representative Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, who was present during the turnover of medicines to the Pasay City General Hospital. 

Apart from its recent hospital donations, PAGCOR also donated close to P1.3 million worth of medicines to flood victims in Mindanao and Malabon City who were affected by the incessant rains brought by typhoons Egay and Falcon.

PAGCOR turned over close to P1 million worth of medicines to flood victims in Mindanao through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and P350,000 worth of medicines, rice and relief goods to flood victims in Malabon City last June 23 and 25, respectively.

DSWD Program Management Bureau Director III Restituto Macuto said residents from badly affected areas in Region XII and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao will benefit most from PAGCOR’s donation. Among the items donated by the agency include medicines for cough and colds, pain relievers, antibiotics and multivitamins. Macuto said the medicines are scheduled for shipment to Mindanao.

In Malabon, more than 3,000 residents benefited from the medicines and relief goods donated by PAGCOR. Upon receipt of donations, the city government immediately distributed said donation to affected residents.

The recent donations made by PAGCOR brought to more than 15,000 the individuals who benefited from the health service and relief missions conducted nationwide by the state-run gaming firm since August 2010.

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