Gov’t authorizes $49M in aid to private hospitals for COVID-19 expenses
The government has authorized $49.5 million in funding to assist Puerto Rico’s private hospitals reimburse expenses related to the COVID-19 emergency.
Gov. Wanda Vázquez said the funding comes from the Private Hospital Assistance Program, included in the Strategic Disbursement Plan under the CARES Act.
“We recognize the challenges that our hospital institutions have had due to this global pandemic, and that’s why we have worked quickly to start the disbursement process and cover the expenses related to this emergency,” she said.
The program targeting private hospital institutions has a total of $150 million available to provide emergency assistance — grants or short-term loans — to private hospitals for emergency-related expenses caused by COVID-19. The allocation to each institution is distributed according to need.
Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, or AAFAF, Executive Director Omar Marrero said the remaining funds will be distributed during the first week of June to cover the total $150 million allocation.
“This funding aims to provide relief from the economic burden this pandemic has placed on the sector responsible for protecting public health. We keep working hard to provide our hospitals with alternatives for economic relief,” said Marrero, adding that the guidelines to apply for financial aid under this program are available on the AAFAF sitio web.
