Bidding of government hospitals questioned

CEBU, Philippines - A party-list representative will be filing a resolution questioning the ongoing public bidding of at least three government hospitals despite the bill pending at the House of Representatives which seeks to corporatize these hospitals.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said that the bidding is quite questionable and irregular.

“I will file a resolution questioning that public bidding. Nasa House of Representatives pa ang bill pero bakit may public bidding na?” Casiño asked.

Casino was in Cebu to attend the Sinulog Grand Parade the other day.

Casiño said that the proposed bill on the privatization of 26 hospitals, includes Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.

Casiño and Representative Angelo Palmones of Agham earlier criticized the conversion of these government-owned hospitals saying this 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.

Fourth district Representative Benhur Salimbangon, who is a member of the House Committee on Health, earlier said that he will lobby at the Senate for the rejection of the bill.

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

Salimbangon added that there is no need for VSMMC to be privatized since the hospital is now fully equipped with modern technology and in a way, has now become the envy of private hospitals.

Last year, VSMMC inaugurated over P100 million worth of ten private rooms and seven operating rooms at their newly-renovated building.

The ten private rooms and one suite room is worth P5 million coming from the hospital’s previous income while the seven operating rooms are worth P100 million with the funding coming from the Department of Health.

VSMMC is a general tertiary medical center, teaching/training medical facility owne by the Philippine government.

It aimed to provide health care services that are available and acceptable to all regardless of social status.  (FREEMAN)