Why slash the budgets of public hospitals in the middle of a pandemic?

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday, October 22, questioned a total P2.04-billion cut in the proposed 2021 budgets of 32 national and regional government hospitals, including several that are COVID-19 referral centers.

The opposition senator also flagged the Department of Health’s (DOH) budget for the item “Prevention and Control of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases,” which is P10 billion less than the agency requested.

“Billions worth of cuts in the middle of a pandemic means we drastically slashed the capacity of government hospitals to provide services and medicines for free. Because of this, people’s out-of-pocket expenses will also increase. This is grossly anti-poor and anti-people,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is proposing smaller amounts in the 2021 National Expenditure Program (NEP) than what the public hospitals originally requested.

The allocations would have covered the costs of the hospitals’ regular operations, such as utilities, medicine, diagnostic procedures, and intravenous fluids, Hontiveros said.

‘Fatal’ cut

“In this biggest of health emergencies, we have no choice but to give these hospitals what they need. The consequences could prove fatal. Many might die because they were refused care when they needed it the most. This can be prevented if we channel funds wisely,” Hontiveros said.

The following are the public hospitals that Hontiveros identified, and the difference between the budgets they requested and their current allotments under the 2021 NEP:

Cordillera Administrative Region

• Baguio General Hospital, P74.68 million
• Far North Luzon General Hospital, P P17.2 million

Ilocos Region

• Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center, P171.35 million
• Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital, P102.62 million
• Region I Medical Center, P56.15 million

Central Luzon

• Dr Paulino Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center, P158.89 million
• Jose Lingad Memorial General Hospital, P173.93 million
• Mariveles Mental Wellness and General Hospital, P18.84 million

Metro Manila

• Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, P238.37 million
• Quirino Memorial Medical Center, P305.48 million
• National Center for Mental Health, P223.08 million
• National Center for Geriatric Health, P20.04 million
• Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, P42.68 million
• Philippine Cancer Center, P18.51 million
• Dr Jose Rodriguez Memorial Center, P85.75 million
• Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center, P30.87 million

Western Visayas

• Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital, P242.19 million
• Don Jose Monfort Medical Center-Extension Hospital, P21.68 million
• Western Visayas Medical Center, P139.16 million
• Western Visayas Sanitarium, P50.53 million

Central Visayas

• Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital, P7.18 million
• Eversley Child Sanitarium and General Hospital, P52.97 million

Eastern Visayas

• Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center, P192.26 million
• Schistosomiasis Hospital, P52.09 million

Zamboanga Peninsula

• Zamboanga City Medical Center, P142.2 million

Northern Mindanao

• Mayor Hilarion Ramiro Sr Regional Hospital, P76.4 million
• Northern Mindanao Medical Center, P89.65 million

Davao Region

• Davao Regional Medical Center, P285.27 million
• Southern Philippines Medical Center, P699.2 million

SOCCSKSARGEN

• Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, P53.12 million

CARAGA

• CARAGA Regional Hospital, P52.52 million
• Adela Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center, P9.27 million

‘Common sense’

The Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City has the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the country. At 67.2%, its bed occupancy rate is now at “warning level,” Hontiveros noted.

The Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, the country’s biggest hospital, has reached full capacity for COVID-19 patients, the senator said. Its ward is already 97% occupied.

The reduction in the proposed budgets for the maintenance and operating expenses of these hospitals would mean they will have to dip into their income, which could otherwise be used to add beds and equipment.

The country’s 3.31% average critical case rate is equivalent to 588 people getting hospitalized for COVID-19 every week, Hontiveros pointed out.

“Most of these hospitals are in emerging, if not current, hotspot areas. Shouldn’t common sense tell us that when the threat is rising, we provide reinforcement? We don’t know when this pandemic will end, so our hospitals have to be ever-ready to deal with the influx of patients,” the senator said.

Hontiveros is pushing for a P48.7-billion increase in the 2021 DOH budget. The Senate is expected to tackle the proposed 2021 national budget starting November 9.

The item for “Prevention and Control of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases” in the DOH’s proposed 2021 budget is worth P4.65 billion. Although higher than its P1.06-billion budget in 2020, it is around P10 billion lower than the amount the DOH had intended, according to Hontiveros’ office. – Rappler.com