Estrada urged to stop ordinance allowing city hospitals to charge poor patients

Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net fle photo

MANILA, Philippines—A partylist group on Wednesday is alarmed over the move of the Manila City government to allow its six subsidized hospitals to charge indigent patients.

Anakpawis Representative Fernando Hicap said the city government is not only closing its doors to poor patients of Metro Manila but as well as other patients from nearby cities and provinces who also depend on Manila’s free health care services.

“We are urging former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada to stop the city ordinance which allows public hospitals to charge their poor patients of hospital fees,” said Hicap.

He said that they are one with Manila government’s lament that the lack of adequate funding is compromising the city’s six hospitals free health care services, but this should not justify to pass the city’s budget woes to poor patients.

“Whether they are Manila residents or not, access to health is beyond territory. It’s protected by the Constitution,” he said.

He said their group is willing to join efforts to address the issue before the national government.

On Tuesday, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said public hospitals in the city would start collecting minimal fees from the patients after the passage of a city ordinance that requires patients to pay fees before being discharged except for poor people from Manila, or those who received orange cards from the city mayor.

Affected hospitals include Ospital ng Maynila, Ospital ng Santa Ana, Ospital ng Sampaloc, Justice Abad Santos Hospital, Gat Andres Hospital and the Ospital ng Tondo.

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