MANILA, Philippines — The Office for Public Affairs of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) has said the proposed retrenchment of personnel at the UST Hospital (USTH) in Manila was “being held in abeyance” pending a review by the board of trustees later this month.
Last week, USTH director Dr. Marcellus Ramirez announced that management would need to rightsize “noncrucial” manpower, or nonfrontliners, for the hospital to continue operating.
He said that nonnew coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients were avoiding USTH for fear of being infected, resulting in financial losses.
“The huge cost brought about by our contingency measures to address the demands of the pandemic … is taking a very serious toll on the hospital’s sustainability,” he added.
The financial constraints have forced the management to implement staff retrenchment and nonrenewal of fixed-term contracts.