Health groups negotiate with DOH; protest the privatization of public hospitals

Press Release
July 15, 2013

References:

Dr. Julie Caguiat, NOP convenor, 0946-2278218

Mr. Jossel Ebesate, RN, AHW National President, 0918-9276381

Health workers, practitioners and community organizations under the Network Opposed to Privatization of Health Services (NOP) formally sought negotiations with Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona today to stop the privatization of public hospitals.

"This is not the first time we speak out against privatization of public hospitals. Still we are hoping DOH Secretary Ona will hear us out, in behalf of all the poor Filipino patients who are depending on our public hospitals for treatment. This is all about the health and lives of our people. We cannot just give up with this fight," said Dr. Julie Caguiat, convenor of NOP and Executive Director of Community Medicine Development Foundation.

Among those projects being protested by the group include the public-private partnership of Philippine Orthopedic Center, the sale of National Center for Mental Health, the proposed PPP projects in different hospitals nationwide, and corporatization of hospitals. The groups also raised questions on the proposed modern hospital complex in the DOH compound that will transfer the Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, and supposedly "modernize" Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, and San Lazaro Hospital.

"We are for the improvement and development of public hospitals and health facilities, but this should be done by the government itself and be geared towards providing free, accessible and affordable health services especially for the poor.

“The Aquino government’s highly touted PPP program for public hospitals, which is just a sanitized name for privatization, is anathema and an abandonment of the government’s constitutional mandate to protect and promote the people’s right to health. The interest for insatiable profits by big business is in contradiction to the very essence of existence of public hospitals, which is to provide quality, affordable and accessible health services for all the people," said Jossel Ebesate, national president of Alliance of Health Workers.

Anti-privatization groups raised concerns that the entry of private investors in public hospitals and health services will further raise the cost of health services in public hospitals and displace poor patients.

“By letting private corporations take over public hospitals’ operations in the guise of “modernization, efficiency, and financial viability”, the government in effect has made profit instead of service as its priority. The much-touted Philhealth subsidy for the people cannot replace the state- run public health facilities and services,” Dr. Caguiat said.

Aside from NOP, other groups expressed opposition against the privatization of public hospitals and health services, including urban poor, workers, women, and most recently the church groups.#