Hontiveros wants hospitals asking for deposits sued

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Sunday urged the public to file criminal complaints against private hospitals demanding cash deposits before admitting patients, saying such fiendish policy had already been outlawed.

“I want to remind everyone that the life of a person is priceless. Profit will never trump people’s right to health care,”Hontiveros said in a statement.

The senator issued the call after the Department of Health revealed that it was looking into 77 cases involving health facilities that allegedly required deposits before providing medical services.

She said Republic Act No. 10932, also known as the Strengthened Anti-Hospital Deposit Law, had prohibited the practice, which had been blamed for the deaths of several patients in the past.

Hontiveros, who principally authored the law, said doctors found to have flouted the law would pay a fine of up to P300,000 and get a jail term of up to two years and four months. —Marlon Ramos