Koronadal City, South Cotabato – Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo, Jr. provided medical and financial assistance to a 19-year-old victim of attempted rape and seventeen (17) stab wounds.
The victim is a resident of Brgy. Poblacion, Polomolok, South Cotabato, who was sleeping alone when a male suspect broke in and forcefully entered their house. She was suddenly attacked by the culprit who grabbed, strangulated, and stabbed her multiple times.
The social case study report of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) Polomolok stated that the patient is “in dire need of hospital assistance who is admitted at the Howard Hubbard Memorial Hospital, due to penetrating stab wound left lateral neck, multiple deep stab wounds intravascular level shoulder # 3, interior chest # 4, epigastrium # 1, right arm # 3, occipital scalp # 2, and left arm # 1.”
On the MSWDO assessment, findings showed that the family is financially exhausted to shoulder the medical expenses of the patient considering their present financial situation. The family’s source of income is derived from the patient’s brother who works as a tricycle driver and her mother who works as a laborer at a private company.
While it is true that the Provincial Government of South Cotabato (PGSC) has an existing Zero-Billing Policy in all its government hospitals and clinics, the patient was however rushed to a private hospital for immediate treatment and proper medical attention, thus her total hospital bill has reached up to eighty thousand pesos (P80,000.00).
The Provincial Governor’s Office staff read about the news on the internet, and Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo, Jr. immediately committed to help the victim with her hospital bill and other medical expenses, together with Congressman Rogelio D. Pacquiao of the Sararangani Lone District who personally offered financial assistance, as well.
The patient was confined in the private facility for eight (8) days, and was discharged on December 11, 2020. Governor Tamayo’s staff accompanied her from the hospital and transported her straight to their home. They also gave her several family food packs, water, and clothes which were provided by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDDRMO).
