MANILA - More than PHP818 million from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's (PCSO) charity fund was released in 2022 to provide assistance to its beneficiaries, including families, local government units (LGUs), and government hospitals across the country. "Sa pamamagitan ng iba't ibang programa sa ilalim ng charity fund, nasa 21,421 na pamilya, LGU, government hospital, at iba pang institusyon ang nabigyan ng tulong noong nakaraang taon (Through the various programs under the charity fund, about 21,421 families, LGUs, government hospitals, and other institutions were given assistance last year)," PCSO chair Junie Cua said in a statement issued onMonday. Cua noted that the figure marks a 716 percent increase from 2021. In its yearend report, the PCSO said the assistance was released through its various programs, such as the Institutional Partnership Program; Endowment Fund Program; Medical Transport Vehicle Donation Program; Medical Equipment Donation Program; Calamity Assistance Program; Outpatient Services; Medicine Donation Program; Medical and Dental Mission; and Employees' Consultation and Management. Earlier, the PCSO said it had directly assisted 255,520 indigents and financially incapacitated individuals under its flagship Medical Access Program (MAP) with more than PHP2 billion in assistance last year. The MAP provides aid in partnership with government and private hospitals, health facilities, and medicine retailers. The services covered by the program include confinement, erythropoietin (dialysis injection), chemotherapy drugs, specialty medicines, hemodialysis, laboratory (blood chemistry), diagnostic, and imaging procedures and implant/medical devices. (PNA) }