Garin: DOH opposes privatization of PHL Orthopedic Center

Health Secretary Janette Garin assured the public on Wednesday that the Department of Health will oppose any move to privatize the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC), as she maintained that the ongoing changes in the hospital were for modernization.

 

At the DOH’s budget briefing before the House appropriations committee, Garin said the agency “doesn’t tolerate the privatization of government hospitals.”

While she admitted “nuances and disagreements” in the ongoing discussions on efforts to modernize the POC, she said the DOH will oppose any move to privatize it.

 

“If it’s privatization, definitely we’ll not agree to it but if it’s modernization, we’ll support it,” Garin said.

But ANG NARS party-list Rep. Leah Paquiz, who asked Garin about the alleged privatization of the POC, belied the Cabinet official’s claim that the hospital will not be taken over by the private sector.

 

“DOH denies it’s privatization. But however you call it—corporatization or modernization—it smells like privatization,” Paquiz said, noting that the 2016 general appropriations bill does not contain any budget for POC’s capital outlay.

 

She said the government hospital would need at least P330 million next year to restore its buildings, and another P30 million to upgrade its equipment.

 

PNoy against hospital privatization

 

In response, Garin said the POC is set to receive a total of P100 million for capital outlay for 2015 and 2016. On top of this, she said the DOH is now awaiting the PhilHealth board’s approval for the hospital to become a recipient of its investible funds.

 

“This would pave the way for the provision of equipment that are badly needed by the health center,” Garin said.

 

Though she stopped short of discussing details of the plan to upgrade POC, she said even President Benigno Aquino III frowns upon the prospect of privatizing government hospitals.

 

“The Department of Health, including President Aquino, does not in any way tolerate the privatization of government hospitals,” she said.

 

Garin said the President has directed the DOH to ensure that no POC employee will be displaced in the course of modernizing the hospital, and it should be able to continue catering to the needs of its patients amid the upgrade.

 

SC petition

 

The 700-bed capacity POC is the only Philippine hospital specializing in orthopedic disorders including cases of spinal injuries.

 

Earlier this year, a group of indigent patients, POC employees, health professionals, concerned citizens and progressive legislators asked the Supreme Court to stop the hospital’s modernization under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.

 

They said the project, should it pushes through, will lead to loss of jobs of POC employees and will reduce the number of indigent patients who could benefit from free healthcare.

 

The P5.7-billion project has been awarded to the Megawide Construction Corp. and World Citi Consortium. — RSJ, GMA News