DAVAO CITY — Governor Corazon Malanyaon of Davao Oriental on Wednesday urged the members of the House of Representatives to pass into law a bill that seeks to renationalize the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center.
In her message before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Health, Malanyaon said “the move would guarantee more funding for the hospital as bigger budget allocations are readily available for national government-run facilities.”
Davao Oriental 2nd District Rep. Cheeno Miguel Almario filed House Bill No. 5952 on Nov. 8, 2022. The bill seeks to revert to the national government the discharge of basic health services of the DOPMC.
Section 3 of the bill, however, provides that “funding for the operation, capital expenses, continued 8 operations and other similar costs of the DOPMC shall continue to be shouldered by the LGU (local government unit) concerned until such can be incorporated into the General Appropriations Act of the immediately succeeding full fiscal year.”
“With the passage of this bill, it is hoped that quality health care will be provided to the people of Davao Oriental and neighboring communities. Upgrading and better maintenance of government health services and facilities are also foreseen with the transfer of responsibility for health care to the national government, as well as the strengthening of professional health manpower that is responsive to the people’s needs,” Almario said in the explanatory note of the bill.
According to a statement posted on the official Facebook Page of Davao Oriental, it was during Malanyaon’s term in 2011 when “DOPMC underwent a major facelift with the construction of high-rise buildings and the acquisition of state-of-the-art health equipment.”
“With the proposed renationalization, the hospital expects to see more enhancements to better cater to its clients,” the statement claimed.
The statement clarified that the income of the province this year “from its share in the National Tax Allocation (NTA) will be significantly reduced by nearly half a billion, resulting from the huge shortfall in the national tax collections during the pandemic. Moreover, the huge debt servicing requirement of almost P400 million annually adds to the province’s financial burdens. These two significant challenges hinder the province’s capacity to maintain such a massive facility.”
Accordingly, based on the provincial government’s annual appropriation, DOPMC gets seventy percent of the total healthcare budget, or almost P200 million. Governor
“The current cost of operating a level two facility holding patients over and beyond its bed occupancy, replete with all the surgical and critical care specialty services, including the cost of human resources and other medical and operational expenses, has taken a great toll on the financial condition of the province,” Malanyaon said.
The statement said “the province also operates four more district hospitals and infirmaries – all of which need regular maintenance and operating costs, covering human resources and equipment, among other expenses.”
The renationalization of DOPMC will relieve the province from its financial burdens and can “help ensure everyone has access to high-quality healthcare while promoting cost savings and better coordination within the healthcare system.”
“Moreover, should the proposal be successfully pushed, the provincial government can shift its focus to food security, agriculture, and tourism-related projects to boost its economy, counter the pandemic’s ill effects, and ultimately defeat poverty,” the statement said. –Taher Solaiman
“
