President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday to cover the costs of all inpatient, outpatient, and emergency services in 22 public hospitals nationwide through the administration’s “Zero Billing” program.

The President issued the order as he celebrated his 67th birthday on Friday.

The DOH has allocated P328 million to 22 tertiary hospitals to cover the medical expenses of patients.

Under the Zero Billing program, all hospital bills, drugs, medicines, and medical services such as chemotherapy, dental services, dialysis, implants, laboratory and diagnostic procedures, and therapy and rehabilitative services will be covered by the government.

Zero Billing will be implemented in eight public tertiary hospitals in the National Capital Region (NCR), including the East Avenue Medical Center, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

Patients from the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital, Philippine Heart Center, and the Philippine Orthopedic Center will also benefit from the Zero Billing program.

Also covered by the program are six hospitals in Luzon, including the Batanes General Hospital, Batangas Medical Center, Bicol Medical Center, Cagayan Valley Medical Center, Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Medical Center, and the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center.

In the Visayas, the program covers three hospitals namely the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center, Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, and the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

For Mindanao, the service can be availed of in five hospitals, including the Amai Pakpak Medical Center, Cotabato Regional Medical Center, Davao Regional Medical Center, Mayor Hilarion Ramiro Sr. Medical Center, and Zamboanga City Medical Center. Presidential News Desk