Health workers, together with the patients and the people, heighten protests as DOH continues the POC bidding! People Demand Right to Health!

PRESS RELEASE

May 24, 2013

References:
    

Mr, Jossel I. Ebesate, RN, MAN(c ),President, Alliance of Health Workers
Mobile No: 09189276381
Mr. Sean Herbert G. Velchez, RN, President, National Orthopedic Hospital Workers Union

Mobile No: 09206249961

The health workers from different hospitals and the urban poor communities, led by the POC health workers, wearing black arm bands and streamers of No to Sale of POC hanged all over the walls of Orthopedic Center,  held a protest action outside the hospital.  They are joined in also by sympathetic patients of the orthopedic center and their relatives, whose loud and continued chants are “Health, a basic right of the people! (Health) Service, not profit-orientation! (Kalusugan, karapatan ng mamamayan! Serbisyo, wag gawing negosyo!). No to Sale of POC!”.  The speeches which express solidarity to their cause and the program was  interspersed with noise barrage to let the POC management, DOH and the prospective bidders and visitors hear and possibly feel their disgust and strong protest  against the sale of POC.

Mr. Sean Velchez, the president of NOHWU-AHW (National Orthopedic Hospital Worker’s Union-Alliance of Health Workers) said, “Ironically, while the DOH (Department of Health) never admitted that POC is up for sale, Undersecretary T.  Herbosa publicly declared the extension of bidding of Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) up to May 24, 2013, today. This shows the callousness of DOH to the people’s plight.”

“This clearly shows how unreliable the government public statements are, specifically regarding the truth of PPP (Public Private Partnership) in health.  During  the height of our   information campaign on the government’s  privatization of hospitals, the DOH  repeatedly deny  this, calling us “hard headed” and “a small group that refuses to understand”,  but  whatever they label  us,  health workers,  we, whom they called “hard-headed” people  remained to stand  for the  people’s right to health.  We firmly believe that privatization will deprive the people especially the poor of the much needed health care,” he added.

As showcased by DOH (Department of Health) last October 2012 in a forum for “Excellence for PPPs in Health”, this so called  Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center (MOPC), is a part of the Aquino Health Agenda which claims to provide affordable and accessible health care.

Mr. Jossel Ebesate, AHW President, said “through what they call “modernization”, the giant private corporation/s who win/s the bid will be made to finance the P5.43 B of the P5.69 B total project cost.  Moreover, this new hospital which will be called, “Center for Bone and Joint Diseases, Trauma and Rehabilitation Medicine”, will be headed by a board of trustees composed of 2 government representatives and 3 private representatives. Eventually, no matter how the DOH strongly denies it, POC will turn into a private corporation and thus, can no longer provide free nor affordable health services for the people, especially the majority poor. Also the private company has the right to hire and fire employees.”

Refusing to be deceived and be intimidated by the statements of the government, the health workers will continue the series of protests that will hound  the bidding process of POC and other plans to further privatize the public health care .  “We will insist the people’s right to health and we will continue the campaign against privatization of POC and other (26) public hospitals,” Mr. Velchez added.