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.###