House stops privatization of state hospitals

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has approved a bill prohibiting the privatization of government hospitals.

Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, who chairs the committee on health, said yesterday it was the sense of her panel that public health institutions should not be sold to private investors.

“These should remain public and should continue to serve the poor among our people. There are enough private hospitals for the rich,” she said.

House Bill 7437 is a consolidation of three related measures authored by Reps. Lito Atienza of Buhay, Gus Tambunting of Parañaque and the Makabayan bloc of seven leftist party-list representatives.

“We thank our colleagues for supporting this bill, which aims to stop the alarming and unacceptable trend of big business eyeing the real estate value and profit potential of strategically located hospitals,” Atienza said.

He said if public hospitals are sold to private investors, the owners’ “priority would be profit, not service.”

He said health facilities are making money.

This is the reason why big businesses have been trying to buy both private and public hospitals, he added.

“Most Filipinos who are daily and minimum wage earners cannot possibly afford to get treatment from private hospitals and medical institutions, and rely on public hospitals and clinics for their needs. Which is why the privatization of public hospitals would be grossly detrimental to many,” Atienza stressed.

He urged the government to modernize and give public hospitals more funds, instead of selling them to “profit-driven” private businesses.

Atienza said the proposed privatization ban in Bill 7437 covers all government health facilities, including the four specialty hospitals in Quezon City: National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Heart Center, Lung Center and Children’s Medical Center.

Aside from banning the sale of public hospitals, the bill mandates that 90 percent of their bed capacity should be allotted to poor patients.

The measure imposes penalties for violators: a fine of P100,000 to P200,000 and suspension from public office for one year to two years for the first offense, a fine of P200,000 to P500,000 and disqualification from holding any government post for three years to six years for the second offense, and a fine of P500,000 to P800,000 and removal from public office and perpetual disqualification for the third offense.