Health Workers’ Call – Ona Resign!

PRESS STATEMENT
November 24, 2012

Reference:

Mr. Jossel Ebesate, RN
President Alliance of Health Workers
Mobile No. 0918-9276381

Mr. Robert Mendoza, RM
Secretary General Alliance of Health Workers
Mobile No. 0932-4649757

“Depende, depende sa usapan,” was Sec. Ona’s response to a TV interview regarding status of the health workers’ security of tenure with the corporatization of public hospitals. Straight from the Sec. Ona’s mouth, this is the most blatant and eloquent proof of his ultimate disregard for the welfare of the health workers - the front liners in the health care delivery. Health workers’ security of tenure is among the contentious aspects with the privatization of public hospitals and health care delivery.

The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), for the interest of the public especially the poor, clarifies its stand vis a vis his statements point by point:

1. Corporatization is not privatization, for us the name does not matter; it could be by any name. What matters is –how will health delivery be availed by the patients, will it be free upon the control of public hospitals by private partner investors? Our experience with the corporatized GOCC hospitals – the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) and the Lung Center of the Philippines free services are no longer available. At NKTI, the “no pay, no hook policy” has been the norm for patients undergoing dialysis. At PHC, a long list of patients, mostly indigents are waiting for operation and a number died along the wait.

2. Services will improve, according to Sec. Ona. It is a YES, no doubt. Private investors will improve their facilities to achieve a high level of competition for a lucrative return of investment. But will they be free? With GOCC’s as example, NO is the sure answer! Improved facilities do not translate into free services for patients especially the poor. Private investors’ main concern is a fat ROI, the very essence of their being private and not delivery of free public services.

3. PhilHealth will take care of the patients’ needs. At the very least, this is a very debatable issue. DOH endorses Philhealth as almost a ”cure all” for the Filipinos’ health problems. On the ground, however, experiences prove otherwise. If only Sec. Ona listens to what really is the true effects of this pre-need plan on the poor Filipinos’ health needs. Philhealth is part of privatization of health services, thus also for profits.

Sec. Ona claims, we do not understand or refuse to understand what he is saying to which we say, “We do understand you, but not believe you!”. More so, we gather information from both local and international experiences, compare and analyze data which led us to conclude what we are pointing out to him.

We might as well say,” Sec. Ona does not understand or refuse to understand our side”. Our message is clear and simple. When private investors are in control of hospitals and health facilities and health services are all paid for with no free services even for the indigents, it is privatization. DOH Health Financing Scheme clearly says that by 2020, public hospitals are fully corporatized with zero subsidy from the government.

We reiterate that we do not focus on terminologies like PPP, corporatization, privatization. These will just mislead people. Our bone of contention are the implications of these government neoliberal policies and programs, zealously implemented by Sec. Ona, to the Filipino people’s constitutional right to health which is government’s and not private investors’ responsibility. And the health workers’ security of tenure, the front liners in the health care delivery system that has not even been considered in the government's plan to privatize public hospitals.

Thus, Ona resign! is a most fitting call.#

Privatization Kills

Press Statement

November 19, 2012

References:

Mr. Jossel I. Ebesate

National President, AHW

Contact No: 09189276381

Mr. Sean Vilchez

President, National Orthopedic Center Employees Association-AHW
Contact No: 09497767142

Health workers and members of various organizations including those from urban poor communities capped their week-long “kalampag” against privatization of health with a black coffin inscribed with “Privatization Kills” to dramatize the death of public health care system and its adverse effects to people’s health.  The “Privatization Kills” coffin was paraded in front of DOH and Malacanang this Monday, November 19 for the National Day of Protest Against Privatization of Public Hospitals and Health Services.

   

From DOH the group marched to Malacanang to deliver a strong message to President Benigno Aquino III to stop the privatization of public hospitals and health services. Leaders and members of trade unions, peasants, women, government employees, students, teachers, health professionals and religious joined the march and the program at Mendiola.

“Pnoy’s health policies are so insensitive to the already dismal health situation of the people. “Privatization kills” is the most fitting description of his PPP program; sale of public hospitals like the  Philippine Orthopedic Center and Mental Hospital and privatization of health care with the corporatization of 26 public hospitals nationwide,” Jossel Ebesate, Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) president declared. 

                       

Health leaders took turns in assailing the “Death” of public health care and its ill effects on the patients, the health workers and the Filipinos in general especially the poor.  “The poor patients at Jose Reyes and San Lazaro will be further deprived of health services they so badly need. Mental patients will be dislocated and their treatment uncertain after the Mental hospital is sold. At worse, they might add to the increasing number of “taong grasa”.  What will happen to the crippled and disabled who have been confined for a long time at the Orthopedic Center with its sale  as part of  P’noys privatization of health?,” lamented Sean Velchez, president of NOHWU & Spokesperson of Network Opposed to Privatization (NOP).

        

“The people will continue to oppose P’noy’s privatization of public hospitals and health services.  The Aquino administration must stop yielding to the impositions of international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to cut budget for social services to pay the country’s huge foreign debts.  Health is a basic human right and it is the government’s main responsibility to ensure this right!  ” concluded Dr. Geneve Rivera-Reyes of the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD).

In Baguio City, a delegation of health workers of Baguio General Hospital (BGH) trooped to the City Hall to support the City Council’s resolution against corporatization of BGH. A program was held to protest corporatization at the People’s Park. Protest actions were held in Samar, Iloilo and Davao to express their vehement opposition to Aquino’s policies and programs to privatize health.### 

AHW to DOH Secretary Ona: Defend Health Workers Rights and Benefits

Press Statement
November 11, 2012

Reference: Mr. Jossel I. Ebesate
National President
Contact No. 09189276381 

The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) warily considers the recent assurance of the DOH Secretary Ona, "that by the end of this year, all of these so-called doctorless municipalities will be filled." Wary because, while such move has been long overdue, Ona himself admitted that some of these physicians would serve up to 50,000 population which is more than doubled the WHO prescribed doctor to population ratio of 1:20,000. But we are much more wary on the lack of support by the Department of Health to these municipal doctors.

To recall, sometime ago, a doctor and a graduate of the UP College of Medicine assigned somewhere in Agusan  came in conflict with the local military while in pursuit of his duties and functions. DOH merely reassigned said doctor to the DOH Regional Office without even seeking an investigation to uphold the right of said doctor. This also left the municipality without a doctor for some time.

Just recently, the Department of Health sits idly as personnel of the entire Municipal Health Office of Tarragona, Davao Oriental are being harassed by the local officials led by the Mayor of Tarragona. To date, the Municipal Health Officer is given termination order without due process and the salaries of rural health midwives and other local health workers withheld, also without due process. Unbelievably, the root cause of all these harassment was their petition to the Sangguniang Bayan for the release of their monetary benefits provided under the Magna Carta of Public Health Workers (RA 7305).

We therefore challenge DOH Secretary Ona, to immediately intervene, in behalf of our fellow public health workers in Tarragona, Davao Oriental. We are further challenging him to safeguard the rights of all public health workers in the country, including their monetary benefits as provided by law.#