Erap slams Palace for closure of Malacañang clinic

Deposed President Joseph Estrada deplored yesterday as "heartless" the transfer of the Malacañang clinic to the highly secured headquarters of the presidential guards across the Pasig River as it would become inaccessible to the public.

Detained in his rest house in Tanay, Rizal, Estrada called up The STAR yesterday to denounce the decision of President Arroyo to move out the Malacañang clinic from a government property in San Rafael street near the Palace where it has been located for many years.

"Don’t close the (Malacañang) clinic," Estrada exhorted Mrs. Arroyo.

"You must have conscience for the needs of the people."

Estrada said he had received "frantic calls" from indigent patients, especially those who would be deprived the free dialysis treatment which they have been getting from the clinic.

Of the 15 dialysis machines being used at the Malacañang clinic, 10 were donations from Japan secured by former first lady, now Sen. Luisa Ejercito, who is also a physician.

When he was president and he learned that patients had to pay as much as P3,000 per session of dialysis, Estrada ordered that it should be given free to indigent patients.

"Do they want people to just die because they can’t afford it?" he asked rhetorically. "Libre ’yun sa tao. Kawawa naman ang mga tao. It will be heartless for her (Mrs. Arroyo) to ignore the plight of the people." Estrada warned Mrs. Arroyo: "You might not stay long in office if you do that."

On short notice last Monday, Malacañang clinic director Dr. Rolando Deduyo received verbal instructions for the transfer of the entire clinic personnel and equipment within a week to the Presidential Security Group hospital.

The notice of transfer was relayed to Deduyo by Deputy Executive Secretary Ching Vargas who informed him about the supposed "verbal" instructions of Mrs. Arroyo to vacate the premises.