An opposition leader in the House of Representatives on Saturday hailed the support of the House leadership to a bill prohibiting the privatization of public hospitals and other health facilities and services.
Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, a senior deputy minority leader, was referring to House Bill 7437 which prohibits the privatization and corporatization of public hospitals, public health facilities, and public health services. The bill was approved on second reading last Wednesday.
“We thank our colleagues in the Lower House for supporting this bill. This will stop the alarming and unacceptable trend of big business eyeing the real estate value of strategically-located hospitals,” Atienza said.
Atienza’s original bill HB. 3491 prohibiting the privatization of government hospitals, and two other similar bills were consolidated into the current HB 7437.
Instead of privatizing government hospitals, Atienza said that the National Government should instead allocate more funds for improving and modernizing health facilities across the country.
Fellow opposition and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman introduced an amendment to the bill to include specialty hospitals with separate legislative charters such as the Philippine Heart Center, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Lung Center of the Philippines and the Philippine Children’s Medical Center—which Atienza accepted. Maricel V. Cruz
“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,” Atienza said. Which is why the privatization of public hospitals would be grossly detrimental to many.”
Atienza explained that privatizing these hospitals would only benefit the large corporations that would be operating them.
“Instead of privatizing these hospitals, the government should provide funds for the immediate rehabilitation and upgrading of these hospitals, as well as hiring of competent and skilled health professionals to ensure quality health care for the public,” Atienza said.
“We should strengthen these institutions instead of giving them away to the highest bidder. Dagdagan ang pera, pero huwag ibenta. Let us put a stop to this malpractice,” Atienza added.