Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña (standing) approaches Senators Tito Sotto, Joseph Victor Ejercito and and Sonny Angara during a break in the public hearing of the Universal Health bill by the Senate health committee at the Capitol Social Hall. CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña called on Congress to allow local governments to institute their own health insurance system to prevent private hospitals from profiteering.
“The only thing PhilHealth will provide us is how much they’re paying for every procedure. The hospitals here are very abusive. They are the most abusive, they are just an aberration in our society,” Osmeña said during yesterday’s public hearing held by the Senate health committee in Cebu City.
The Senate health committee hearing discussed amendments to the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law and expanding coverage of the Philippine Health Insurance System (PhilHealth).
Osmeña cited the case of North General Hospital in Barangay Talamban which refused to accommodate PO2 Roldan Florentino who was stabbed by four bystanders outside a convenience store in the area last Dec. 28.
“There’s a wounded policeman who has to go to Cebu Doctors in Talamban. He has to put P30,000 as deposit. That’s the kind of doctors we have here … This is what’s happening today. It’s a joke. We have to address this,” the mayor said.
Osmeña ordered an investigation on Florentino’s case, stating that it was a violation of Republic Act 10932, or the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law that was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte last Aug. 3.
The management of North General Hospital declined to comment on the incident. Among those who attended the hearing were Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III and health officials in Cebu City and Central Visayas.
Sen. JV Ejercito, chairperson of the Senate health committee, said about P250 billion is needed to implement all amendments proposed in the UHC Law.
Philhealth data showed that 91 percent of over 100 million Filipinos have benefited from health insurance services.
Congress aims to ensure 100 percent or universal health coverage for the population.
Ejercito said the UHC may address the issue of overcapacity in state-owned hospitals.
A second public hearing on the UHC will be held in Mindanao sometime this year.