Tuesday, August 21, 2007 Regional hospital hikes rates, motive in question By Gil Alfredo B. Severino
THE state-run Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City has reportedly increased its charge rates in various services starting last week.
Though, media men are not allowed to see the new rate tariff as Dr. Jaime Berdañas, the new hospital chief, has a standing instruction to both the Billing and Information Sections not to reveal anything to the media.
Wilhelm Dueño, spokesman of the CLMMRH Hospital Workers Association questioned Berdañas’ motive of keeping the new rates.
“They are now very suspicious of everything. Where can you find a public hospital where charges and rates are being kept from the media? Even private hospitals post their rates in conspicuous places,” he said, adding,” We need media so the people would know. You should write about this.”
Dueño suspects that the increase in hospital’s charge rate is meant to cope up with P15 million budget deficit that CLMMRH is facing right now.
If not, he said, “This could also be the symptom of the plan to privatize CLMMRH.”
“I know that this is the real purpose why there’s an increase now on the hospital charge rates here at CLMMRH. Because even the new management team being led by Dr. Berdañas is only keeping the record from the public to know this P15 million deficit,” the hospital spokesman added.
CLMMRH is catering about 400 “poor” patients everyday. Two months ago, CLMMRH was figured in fund brouhaha brought about by the personal feud between the top officials of the hospital that include Dr. Dominggo Vega, chief of the hospital, Dr. Benito Bionat, chief of clinics and Bryan Baylon, chief administrative officer.
Bionat and Baylon accused Vega of corruption through overpriced biddings of medical oxygen tanks, food caterings and other projects in the hospital.
Vega denied the accusation and instead hit back at Bionat and Baylon by accusing them of tampering of public records, dishonesty, among other administrative offenses.
Their feud, however, caused Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to send a new set of administrative team that will handle the operations of CLMMRH in a temporary capacity.
Duque then relieved the three and ordered them to be assigned to Health Regional Office in Cebu City while probe is still going on.
But Baylon accused Vega including Duque of plunder charge.
Case is now at the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas. A local watchdog, the Hospital Watch, a group of concerned citizens in Bacolod including those from Social Action Center of the Diocese of Bacolod, is also probing the present mess at CLMMRH.
Although, everything remains to be concluded, yet, staff at CLMMRH got alarmed by the reported rate increase as ordered recently by Berdañas.
Sun.Star-Bacolod made an effort to verify the reported charge rate increases, yet, the Medical Social Services and the Billing Section won’t reveal the details.
Both offices refused to disclose whether there is a new list of hospital charges or rates for various services or not.
Instead Sun.Star Bacolod was told that whenever media asks for anything, it must first be referred to Dr. Berdañas.
This, as according to Analie Pacheco, head social worker of the Medical Social Services, “We are under strict orders not to give our service charges and rates to the media. The order states that only Dr. Berdañas has the sole authority to disclose the new hospital charges and rates.”
Sun.Star-Bacolod tried but failed to contact Berdañas as of press time.
