National Center for Mental Health
MANILA, Philippines — A resolution seeking to look into the condition of facilities in the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) in Mandaluyong City has been filed in the Senate.
Senator Raffy Tulfo recently lodged Senate Resolution No. 562, urging the chamber’s health panel to investigate the condition of NCMH facilities.
“It is imperative to conduct an inquiry to assess the condition of the facilities in the NCMH and ensure that patients receive proper care, treatment and support, while holding those responsible accountable for any lapses or negligence,” Tulfo’s resolution stated.
He cited reports and concerns about the “poor condition” of facilities in the hospital, noting that these “may affect [the] recovery of patients and pose hazards to their health and safety.”
Tulfo said the panel inquiry should likewise aim to:
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Pin down root cause of problems and lapses in facilities and operations of the NCMH
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Evaluate quality of care, treatment and support given to NCMH patients
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Look into NCMH’s extent of compliance with existing laws and regulations related to mental health care services
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Identify gaps in services and propose measures to improve quality of care and support provided to NCMH patients
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Hold those responsible for any lapses, negligence or violations of laws, rules and regulations governing mental health care services to account
The senator conducted a surprise ocular inspection at the NCMH on March 27, where he saw the “tragic” situation of patients in the center.
The senator also conducted a surprise ocular inspection at the NCMH on March 27, where he saw the patients’ sorry situation.
“Kung mahina ang iyong sikmura, tiyak na masusuka ka sa sobrang baho ng kanilang ward. Daig pa ang amoy ng kulungan ng baboy. Sa sahig sila natutulog at walang banig, kumot o unan. Nagsisiksikan na parang mga sardinas at sobrang init na mistulang pugon dahil walang ventilation at kulang sa electric fan,” Tulfo said in a statement on Monday.
(If you are squeamish, I’m sure you’ll throw up because of the foul smell of the wards. It’s worse than the smell of a pig pen. They sleep on the floor with no mat, blanket, or pillow. They are cramped like sardines in a can, and the heat is as if you’re in a furnace due to poor ventilation and lack of electric fans.)
Tulfo recalled the mental health center’s female ward smelling garbage and patients’ feces and urine. He also lamented how the forensic ward – where patients with pending cases stay – is overcrowded and has no proper ventilation.
The construction of another pavilion in the NCMH also remains unfinished despite the P60 million budget allotted for its establishment, Tulfo added.
History of irregularities
In 2020, former NCMH administrative officer Clarita Avila exposed the alleged dire situation at the hospital where its employees and patients were supposedly left vulnerable to the spread of the coronavirus.
The disclosure did not sit well with then-NCMH chief Roland Cortez, who instructed Avila to stop speaking on behalf of the hospital regarding its COVID-19 situation.
The Department of Health then transferred Avila to the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Las Piñas.
Before this, Cortez had filed before the Office of the Ombudsman a graft and malversation complaint against Avila for allegedly allowing a company that she helped incorporate to monopolize projects at the NCMH.
This includes a project to extend a pavilion in the hospital, costing the government at least P80 million.
READ: Gov’t mental health hospital rocked by corruption case
In a surprising turn of events, Cortez and his driver Ernesto Ponce dela Cruz were later brazenly gunned down in Quezon City, and Avila was among those arrested for allegedly orchestrating the murder.