Solon wants bill seeking to privatize VSMMC recalled

CEBU, Philippines - Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Teddy Casiño said he will move that the bill seeking to privatize 26 government-owned hospitals, including Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, will be returned to the House committee on health for further deliberation.

Casiño also told The Freeman yesterday that a public hearing must be conducted to ensure that the issue is heard among stakeholders.

He and Agham Partylist Rep. Angelo Palmones earlier criticized the move saying that the conversion of these government-owned hospitals would result to higher hospital fees and lesser services especially among poor patients.

House Bill 6099, principally authored by Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Maranon III and Bacolod City Rep. Anthony Golez aims to corporatize these 26 hospitals and earn income through its paying patients.

The Freeman had been trying to contact the VSMMC management for comment but for the past two days, no one is available to answer.

Fourth district Representative Benhur Salimbangon, who is a member of the House committee on health also said he will lobby at the Senate to reject the bill.

He said that once a government-owned hospital is privatized, the motivation is no longer public service but rather profit.

Salimbangon himself has donated more or less P30 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund to VSMMC for his constituents and holder of Benhur Health cards.

—/FPL (FREEMAN)