David should apologize to health workers

THIS IS a reaction to Rina Jimenez-David’s article titled “A ‘win-win’ for ‘Orthopedic’” (Opinion, 3/24/15). We would like to correct the inaccuracies therein.

1. It is not true that most of the beds in a Megawide-WorldCiti-run privatized orthopedic hospital will be for poor and indigent patients. Under MPOC (Modernized Philippine Orthopedic Center) Bidding Bulletin No. 5, Entry No. 17, if all the 70 beds reserved for them are occupied, the project proponent shall have the right not to accommodate them and instead transfer or refer them to a Department of Health-operated facility. Right now, almost 90 percent of the 700 beds of the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) are dedicated to indigent patients, the remaining 10 percent to regular patients and PhilHealth members.

To assign only 70 beds for the poor is unlawfully wicked.

2. David said the privatized POC will bring about efficient service and lessen waiting time for surgeries. A baseless assumption. The average length of patient stay is often prolonged as patients seek enough funds to pay for the expensive medical operations. What more in a profit-driven, less subsidized regime.

From the MOPC bidding documents, the charges will be based on current market rates. This means, health services currently provided free of charge or for a small fee will then be paid. In turn, the privatized POC’s services will become not only costly; it will be “impossible” to those who, even now, can hardly afford the subsidized services.

3. David justifies the takeover of the POC by private corporations, saying that government has no money to sustain its operation. But can’t the P90 billion in sin taxes collected yearly be used to sustain the POC modernization project?

4. David’s allegations that health workers opposed to the project are just motivated by selfish interests and possibly involved in moneymaking rackets clearly demand an apology. While she enjoys Christmas and holidays with her family, we report to work, leaving our own families behind. While she can choose a safe place to stay during typhoons, countless health workers have to leave home and brave floods to fulfill their duties. While she sleeps soundly at night, the health workers she calls racketeers are changing soiled linens and diapers, draining urine, taking vital signs, etc.—yes, taking care of patients.

We oppose the POC’s privatization for we are sworn to protect patients. The Hippocratic oath and the Nightingale’s Pledge bind us to devote ourselves to the welfare of those committed to our care. Privatization commodifies health and will restrict the poor’s access to essential health services.

Doctors and nurses welcome change, long for modernization and lobby every year in Congress for a higher healthcare allocation. With the irregular contract between government and Megawide-WorldCiti, what better way to welcome change than to rescind something flawed from the very beginning? Why not just modernize the POC in its present Banawe site using state funds?

—SEAN HERBERT G. VELCHEZ, RN,

president, National Orthopedic Hospital Workers Union-AHW,

Philippine Orthopedic Center