THE community around the defunct Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital (BOLMSH) is fighting back.
Residents have launched a signature campaign to try and convince PhilHealth to reconsider the accreditation of BOLMSH, which is considered as the hospital of the poor.
The petition started to go around the houses and the community Thursday afternoon, August 23.
They aimed to gather around 5,000 signatures. The petition will then be forwarded to PhilHealth president Roy Ferrer and Senator JV Ejercito, chairman of Senate committee on health and demography.
According to the residents, especially those living near the hospital, their livelihood was affected. Most of their livelihood evolved around the people who come and go to the hospital.
This is because after the hospital has shut down, people have stopped coming in and business has stopped rolling in.
There are fewer passengers in the public utility vehicle and tricycle, and fewer buyers in the stores and carinderia.
Aside from the affected residents, some 401 employees were also displaced.
PhilHealth earlier denied the accreditation of BOLMSH due to fraudulent activities in the previous years under the former management, Tiong Bi Inc.
It was supposed to shut down its operations on June 30 but was extended for one month due to the intervention of the City Government.
Last month, PhilHealth denied the motion for reconsideration submitted by the hospital management.
The community, this time, is holding on to hope. That someday, the hospital will then open its doors and served the residents and the poor.