High Maternal Deaths, Delays in Health Workers’ Benefits Prove Futility of Aquino’s Privatization Policies

Alliance of Health Workers

Press Release

June 29, 2012

Reference: Jossel I. Ebesate, AHW National President, Mobile number: 0918-9276381

High maternal mortality rate and the continuing problems in health workers’ benefits are proof of the futility of privatization policies in improving people’s health.

This was the claim of Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) President Jossel Ebesate on the occasion of 2^nd anniversary of Benigno Aquino III’s presidency today.  AHW joined the protest action against Aquino’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) held in front of the Philippine General Hospital.

The Department of Health (DOH) last week admitted that Philippines failed to improve Maternal Mortality Rate with 221 deaths per 100,000 live births in the period 2006-2010 compared to 161/100,000 in 2000-2005.

Meanwhile, public hospital workers are protesting since January this year against their unpaid benefits worth P2,000-P8,000 per month.

“Contrary to the Aquino government’s grandiose target of universal health for the Filipinos, health services are becoming more inaccessible to the poor majority and health workers conditions’ have not improved. The Aquino government is continuing the privatization program started in 1990’s. The fee-for-service in public hospitals and hospital budget cuts are designed towards privatization under the Aquino government’s “Kalusugan Pangkalahatan”, Ebesate said.



Ebesate cited the case of Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital which now charges some P3,000-P5,000 for normal delivery and Tondo Medical Center which charges minimum of  P1,500-P2,000 per normal delivery as payment for supplies and use of delivery room. The Philippine General Hospital will also be charging indigent patients for selected diagnostic and laboratory procedures.  These hospitals previously provided free obstetric, delivery and other health services before the revenue enhancement program was implemented by the government.#