on Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Gilbert P. Bayoran

VICTORIAS CITY - With membership in the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program reaching the one million mark after 2016 ended, Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Rep. Alfredo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) are now focusing on how to match it this year with further improvement of health services in 12 government hospitals.

Rep. Alfredo Benitez and Gov. Alfredo Marañon, assisted by provincial consultant Roy Balicas, distribute NOCHP cards at a gym in Victorias City.*

Marañon and Benitez, who led the series of distribution of NOCHP cards to 926 recipients in Silay City and 1,189 others in Victorias on December 30, stressed the need to upgrade and improve the delivery of health services in government hospitals, after noting the lack of medicines in some instances.

“They (hospitals) have to be upgraded, as well as the availability of medicines, doctors, equipment and facilities, in order to cope with the needs of people looking for hospital care”, Benitez said.

NOCHP records show that it already has 202,239 member-families, with a total beneficiaries of 1,011,195, since the health care program started in 2010 up to 2016.

The 3rd district of Negros Occidental posted the highest number of NOCHP enrollees with 53,917 families, constituting one third of the total enrollees, Marañon said.
Marañon described the NOCHP as the most successful program of his Negros First 11-point agenda.

Benitez, who had been supportive of the NOCHP since it was first implemented in 2010, said the program was designed so the people will no longer look for politicians and others to help with their hospital bills.

All they have to do is go straight to government hospitalsto seek treatment, he said.

Benitez said he is targeting 75,000 families to be covered by NOCHP in the third district, which, he added, is “achievable” as they have already covered 54,000.

He claimed that NOCHP is among the successful programs he has implemented in the 3rd district, which is composed the towns of EB Magalona and Murcia, and the cities of Victorias, Silay and Talisay.

The 6th district of Negros Occidental ranked second with the most number of NOCHP enrollees at 47,305 families; 2nd district -41,455; 4th district -26,348; 5th district – 16,936 and 1st district -16,278 families.

Mayor Mark Golez and several councilors of Silay and Victorias cities, assisted Marañon, Benitez, NOCHP head Ma. Mina Pellejo and consultant Roy Balicas, in the distribution of NOCHP cards, that were described by recipients as the best “Christmas gift” to them for 2016.*