Maza slams the shutting down of 200 Hospitals, Abandonment of helath care system

Makabayan-Nacionalista senatorial bet Liza Maza on Tuesday slammed the plan to close down 200 government hospitals around the country.

“The Philippine health care system is shutting down,” Maza said.

The Gabriela solon said that this is a product of the Arroyo government's almost decade long abandonment of the health care system in the country. She cited a study by IBON Foundation which pegged national government spending on health at P6.60 per Filipino per day in 2009. Maza said that this amount cannot even sustain medication for diabetes.

“Health, despite it being a supposedly basic service, remains a low priority of the Arroyo government. In the 2010 budget deliberations in the Lower House, the health department ranked only fifth in the list with a budget of P28.5 billion or more or less 2% of the total budget. This amount is almost the same as its budget last year,” Maza said.

The Philippines ranked fifth among other Asian countries – lower than its neighbors China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia – in terms of health care budget allocation. Maza pointed out that the amount allocated for debt servicing is higher at PP349.8 billion.

According to the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), the shutting down of hospitals is due to lack of health care personnel. The group also revealed that around 800 hospitals are already partially closed down.

“Majority of our health care practitioners, most especially our nurses, are massively flying out of the Philippines to work in other countries, because of the low compensation. Add to that the Arroyo government’s disregard of the contribution of those who choose to stay in the country, as exemplified in the illegal arrest and continued detention of the Morong 43, which sends a message that discourages health care workers from serving poor communities,” Maza said. ###