DOH discovers 3 more non-operational Super Health Centers

Three more super health centers (SHCs) were found to be non-operational despite being declared as completed or in different phases of completion, the Department of Health said Friday. 

“The figures I announced yesterday was 297, naging 300 sya,” Health Secretary Ted Herbosa told reporters after a meeting with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.

(The figures I announced yesterday was 297, it is now at 300.)

Herbosa said of the 878 SHCs funded by the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) from 2021 to 2025, a total of 513 have been declared completed while 365 are still under construction. 

Of the 513 completed facilities, 196 were operational, 17 were partially-operational, and 300 were non-operational.

“Ang nakikita namin na obstacle to operations ay minsan walang power, walang water. Sa arrangement namin, it is the LGU that will make sure it is connected to electrical, water lines and who will also hire the personnel na magpapatakbo ng health centers,” said Herbosa.  

(The obstacle to operations are the lack of power and water. Based on our arrangement, it is the LGU that will make sure it is connected to electrical, water lines and hire the personnel who will run the health centers.)

The Health secretary arrived at the ICI office in Taguig for an inter-agency meeting. This developed after the DOH started inspecting the super health centers following the reports on the alleged anomalous flood management projects.

Herbosa said the independent commission advised him to continue with the probe and to submit the findings to the ICI. He was also assured of assistance with the investigation. 

“May suggestions din sila at ang isa ay gumawa ng citizens participatory action…I will be creating a CPA. Pera naman ito ng taumbayan so ang taumbayan na rin ang mag-report sa akin ng mga facility na nakapadlock at di gumagana,” he said. 

“May resources in in-offer ang ICI to help me with the investigation,” he added. 

Earlier, the DOH said the super health centers that remain inoperative or unfinished can be resuscitated through a public-private partnership, or through their conversion into facilities offering ambulatory service. —AOL, GMA Integrated News