The Philippine Online Chronicles

Health workers are set to launch massive protest actions budget cut in public health care.

On August 24, Kilos Bayan para sa Kalusugan will lead protest at the the Department of Health (DOH) to oppose the 2012 health budget that reveals the “government's policy of neglect out of the ailing public.” On August 25, they will troop to the House of Representatives to demand for a higher budget for public health care.

According to the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), although there would seem to be an increase in the proposed P42.693-billion health budget for 2012 from this year’s P32.427-billion, the increase is still inadequate considering the steady inflation and sustained increase in the prices of medicines and medical equipment badly needed by the largely poor population, said Dr. Geneve Rivera, HEAD secretary general.

There had been zero-increase in the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) in five of the 12 NCR-based special hospitals (Jose Reyes Memorial, Rizal Medical, East Avenue Medical, Quirino Memorial, Tondo Medical, Jose Fabella Memorial, National Children’s Hospital, National Center for Mental Health, Philippine Orthopedic Center, San Lazaro, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and Amang Rodriguez Medical), and 18 out of the 54 local hospitals nationwide.

“These hospitals will have to make do with the very limited budget for medicines, supplies, equipments amidst increasing costs of medicines and supplies and increasing number of patients,” Rivera said.

“In Metro Manila, eight of the 12 DoH-retained hospitals have decreased MOOEs in 2011 amounting to a total of P70.8 million. The MOOE of Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, one of DoH’s flagship hospital, is reduced by P9.3 million, while that of San Lazaro Hospital, where most infectious cases are taken, is reduced by P6.5 million.”

As a result of MOOE budget cuts this year, hospitals like Philippine Orthopedic Center implemented increase in rates of health services (e.g. Xray PA from P120 to P250) at the expense of patients. Mandatory discounts like senior citizens’ and government employees’ discounts remain unfunded thereby competing for limited MOOE allotment.

A study by the Coalition for Health Budget Increase (CHBI) of the 2012 proposed national budget revealed that the increase in the health budget is highlighted by privatization and commercialization of public health care which will further jeopardize the delivery of health services to the public.

The big chunk of the health budget increase is allotted to PhilHealth. Health insurance schemes including PhilHealth had been scrutinized for being non-beneficial if public hospitals remain ill-equipped and understaffed. With the inherent limitation in benefits from PhilHealth, members still spend from their own pockets for their medical needs.

Another P3-billion is allotted for government equity for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in 25 regional hospitals.

According to the group, the proposed 2012 health budget is a far cry from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation of 5 percent of gross national product (GNP) that should be allotted for health, which is estimated at P440-billion.

Health workers are proposing for an alternative health budget of P90-billion for 2012. “All 12 DoH-retained hospitals should each get P1 billion while the 55 public hospitals nationwide should each get an average of P500 million. These funds will be used to improve and upgrade their equipment, and ensure sufficient medical supplies and medicines in their pharmacies.”

“The alternative health budget being proposed by CHBI is meant to ensure that the right to health is guaranteed and fulfilled by the Aquino government. It challenges the current policy of healthcare privatization and the corporatization of government hospitals. This alternative budget is a step towards providing accessible and affordable healthcare for the people.”

The group is also demanding for a P 6,000 increase in minimum pay for all government health workers, upgrading of the salary of entry level nurses to Salary Grade 15 (P24,887), monthly salary of P 50,000 per month salary for government doctors now, additional regular/plantilla positions for nurses and health workers, appropriate fund for health workers’ benefits and free health services for the poor.