The house independent bloc on Wednesday asked the Aquino government to ensure that the poor patients wouldn't be on losing end once the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) is privatized. Leyte Rep. Romualdez expressed apprehension that hospital fees and charges would drastically increase following the privatization, which is now being questioned at the Supreme Court (SC). Several party-list groups, health workers and human rights groups asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order against the POC's privatization, branding it as a violation of citizen's constitutional right to health care and equitable access to health services. ABAKADA party-list Rep. Dela Cruz meanwhile cast doubts that PhilHealth could really cover and pay the medical expenses of Orthopedic's poor patients. Romualdez asked the government to assure the private investors that they would be able to recover their Php 5.4 Billion investment and earn from it. The independent group reminded that the Constitution particularly Article XIII Sec. 11 to 13 provides the right of every Pilipino Citizen to adequate health care. Several party-list groups, health workers and human rights group asked on Monday to SC to issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the Php 5.6 Billion modernization of the POC. The petitioners claimed that the privatization of the POC only calls for the allocation of only 70 beds for service (indigent) patients and 420 for sponsored PhilHealth patients.
