Council nixes corporatization of government hospitals

THE City Council of Davao passed Tuesday a resolution opposing the passage of the proposed corporatization of government hospitals.

Councilor Leah Librado, proponent of the measure, said the proposal, if approved, will transform 26 public hospitals into corporations, giving fiscal autonomy of public hospitals to raise income for its operations.

The resolution called for the junking of House Bill No. 6069 or "An Act Converting Government Hospitals into National Government Hospital Corporation, Providing Funds Therefore and other purposes" authored by Bacolod City Representative Anthony Rolando Torrillo Golez Jr. and the Senate Bill 3130 (National Government Hospital Corporate Restructuring Act) sponsored by Senators Franklin Drilon and Edgardo Angara.

Librado said the "dependence on government subsidy will be cut off," once the proposal becomes a law.

In a statement, Librado said: "The State is bent on privatizing our government hospitals, misleading people that corporatizing such is entirely different. We can expect that 26 public hospital assets will be sooner turned into investable funds, allowing business contracts and eventually converting these to income generating corporations, ALL at the expense of the people who are mostly poor and can ill afford medical services."

The approved resolution said the proposed bills in both Houses "contravene the commitment of the government to a rights-based people centered development."

Librado said she is hopeful that by registering the Council's opposition, the government would think twice before implementing detrimental moves that go against public policy.