DOH mulls fielding ‘ghost clients’ to check on doctors, health workers’ behavior

The Department of Health is considering the deployment of "ghost clients" to hospitals to observe how doctors and other health workers treat their patients, Tina Panganiban-Perez reported on Balitanghali on Wednesday.

"I'm thinking of really sending ghost clients, as part of our quality assurance," Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said before the House Committee on Appropriations when she presented the DOH's proposed P144-billion budget.

Ubial's remark came following Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr.'s suggestions for the DOH to address what he called poor treatment of patients, especially indigents, at public hospitals.

Teves on Tuesday suggested the posting of tarpaulins with the words "bawal ang masungit" around public hospitals to shame health professionals into treating their patients better.

"Sa private hospital, ser yung pasyente. Sa public hospital hindi eh, ma'am yung nurse eh. May sakit na nga yung tao, mahirap pa, sinisigawan pa," Teves said.

East Avenue Medical Center Director Dr. Roland Cortez said that common courtesy was embedded in how they provide service to patients even before lawmakers paid attention to the bedside manners of health professionals.

"Naka-embed na yung civil service rules and regulations on how to deal and care with patients," Cortez said.

Teves also proposed a mandate of banning hospitals from asking patients for deposits during emergency treatment.

Ubial noted that while they could not do anything if the patient agrees to an internal transaction with the hospital, she said that the DOH would find a way to follow Teves' suggestion.

"We can add that as a licensing requirement for our hospitals," Ubial said.

"That is an internal transaction. So even if we have pronouncement that it is not acceptable to get deposit when patients come in, unfortunately, the patient sign an agreement on admission that they are willing to pay and they are willing to provide deposit," she added. —Rie Takumi/NB, GMA News