CHR: No justification for hospitals turning away patients

There's no justification for hospitals to reject patients, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said. 

“While we recognize the current overstretched capacity of hospitals to provide critical care as we are in the middle of a national health emergency, the deaths of patients due to alleged outright refusal of hospitals cannot be justified,” CHR spokesperson and lawyer Jacqueline de Guia said.

De Guia made the reaction after three patients needing immediate care were reportedly refused admission in several hospitals.

“The CHR calls out incidences where medical facilities in different parts of the Philippines were said to blatantly reject patients who needed immediate treatment, which led to the deaths of many, including pregnant women,” De Guia added.

De Guia said that such incidents, which involved hospitals allegedly demanding advance payment before admitting the patients, is a clear violation of Anti-Hospital Deposit Law. 

“Every person has an equal right to health and has the right to receive appropriate medical care devoid of any discrimination. Patients in emergency shall be extended immediate medical attention without any deposit, or any form of advance payment for treatment, and should be treated to the best of one's ability—a principle embodied in physician’s sworn Hippocratic Oath,” De Guia pointed out.

“The Commission demands justice for the victims and calls for stricter implementation of the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law. Furthermore, we echo the reminder of the government to hospitals that those who will violate the law will face steep penalties and might be imprisoned up to six years,” she added.

De Guia said that the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law also mandates a hospital or medical clinic with inadequate capacities to fully attend to the patient’s condition, including the need to administer the necessary emergency treatment and support to stabilize the patient before transferring to another health facility.

“In a health crisis, the ultimate goal of the government is to save as many lives of our fellow Filipinos as possible. Denying immediate medical attention to those who may not be infected by the virus, but are equally in danger, defeats the purpose of the emergency health measures being implemented in the country,” De Guia said. —LDF, GMA News