Hospital owners to wear black shirts

Aside from the hospital holiday, owners of private hospitals have lined up other ways to show their protest over the new anti-patient detention law. The Philippine Hospital Association said Thursday it will likely have members wear black shirts and badges, and put primers on bulletin boards. "Why is it meron pang anti-detention sa hospital? This may be subject to abuse dahil sa maling interpretation lamang (Why did lawmakers need to have an anti-detention law for hospitals? This may be subject to abuse if the law is wrongly interpreted)," PHA executive director Irineo Bernardo III said in an interview on Iglesia ni Cristo-run dzEC radio. But Bernardo stressed that even if the hospital holiday were to push through on Friday, they will not suspend medical services, especially for emergency cases and those already confined. Also, he said the PHA is in favor of "incentives" in place of the controversial anti-detention provision, such as tax exemptions and enrolment in the national health insurance program. On the other hand, dzEC reported that Malacañang ordered the Health Department to hold discussions with concerned parties. It ordered health officials led by Secretary Francisco Duque III to explain the new law to hospital owners to prevent misunderstandings. - GMANews.TV