Makabayan senatorial candidate and Rep. Teddy Casiño hit anew the corporatization and privatization of health services.
Speaking among protesting health workers in Mendiola, Casiño said "parang scam itong privatization of health services, pinapangakuan ang taumbayan ng instant na pagbuti ng serbisyong pangkalusugan diumano, yun pala taumbayan din ang lalong mawawalan."
"In the privatization of public hospitals business and profit wins, at the expense of the public who will suffer once again with the increased rates of health services," Casiño added.
Casiño pointed to the experience of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) in corporatized hospitals like the Philippine Heart Center and National Kidney and Transplant Institute where health services are costlier compared to other government hospitals and even some private hospitals.
"Corporatization does not necessarily mean adequate equipment, supplies and better services. The persistent request for additional government support by GOCC hospital directors to procure needed equipments and apparatus every year proves this point. Many indigent patients in GOCC hospitals cannot afford the patient share in heart operations which costs tens up to hundreds of thousands of pesos," Casiño said.
"Instead of corporatizing government hospitals, the government should increase the budget of public hospitals. If we would only heed the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that health allocations should be at least 5% of the GDP, there would be adequate supplies, medicines, and health workers for better services to the people especially the indigents," Casiño said.
Casiño has filed several measures opposing the privatization of public hospitals and health services including House Bill 5257 Repealing RA 5260 or sale of Welfareville Property (National Center for Mental Health) and House Resolution 1700 – Inquiry on Planned sale of Welfareville Property (Mental Hospital), and House Resolution 2588 – Inquiry on the Phase-out of Charity Wards in Public Hospitals. Casiño also questioned and asked for reconsideration of House Bill 6069 or the Hospital Corporatization Bill. #
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