2 Senate bets oppose hospital privatization

 CEBU, Philippines - Two senatorial candidates expressed their opposition to the proposal seeking to privatize government hospitals in the country.

Former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, who is running for senator under Team PNoy, said the poor will only suffer once government hospitals are privatized.

“Almost all na mahihirap ay nagpapagot sa mga government hospitals. I don’t think it will be fair for them na gawing private yung mga hospitals. Kasi pag privatized na, profit na ang motive and no longer public service,” said Villar in an interview with The FREEMAN.

She said that health services are already expensive, the reason why more Filipinos could no longer afford hospitalization.

She said that when she was a congresswoman, she allocated a huge amount of her Priority Development Assistance Fund for government hospitals in her area.

“Kasi ang mahihirap, walang pambili nang gamot kaya doon kinukuha sa pork barrel. Pambili pa nga lang nang gamot, hirap na, paano na lang kung matuloy ang privatization? Hindi ako sang-ayon diyan,” she added.

Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, who is also running senator under the United Nationalist Alliance, also opposed the move privatizing the government hospitals.

“Privatizing government hospitals would be very disadvantageous especially among the poor,” said Magsaysay in a press conference yesterday.

Magsaysay claimed that the Aquino administration is now gearing towards privatization.

“It will come a time that the only the Office of the President is left not being privatized,” she added.

House Bill 6099, principally authored by Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Marañon III and Bacolod City Rep. Anthony Golez, aims to corporatize the country’s 26 hospitals.

These hospitals include the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.   (FREEMAN)