ALMOST two weeks before the deadline for applications to bid for the Philippine Orthopedic Center, workers led by labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno held a picket in front of the Health Department’s main office in Tayuman, Manila this morning to condemn the privatization of the country’s public hospitals, saying the scheme will deny workers and the poor basic health care.
To show their condemnation of the POC’s privatization, the Aquino government’s Public-Private Partnership program’s first project in the health sector, the workers put up a sign showing their diagnosis of the Department of Health: comatose on the welfare of workers and the people.
KMU also called for a protest dubbed “Kalampagang Manggagawa at Maralita: Sahod, itaas! Presyo, ibaba!” on April 17 which will call for a P125 across-the-board wage hike nationwide, condemn soaring power and water rates, and call for a stop to the privatization of government hospitals.
“Workers and the poor have had enough experience with privatization. We know that the privatization of public hospitals will be detrimental to us and will only benefit big capitalists,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.
“We are calling on the country’s workers and people to hold noise barrage and other form of protests on April 17. Let us call for P125 across-the-board wage hike, condemn the soaring power and water rates, and call for a stop to the privatization of government hospitals,” he added.
“Despite the Aquino government’s hype about so-called economic growth, poverty and hunger in the country continue to worsen. Let us fight for reforms that will truly benefit us. Let us fight for higher wages and lower prices,” he said.
The POC’s privatization is part of the scheme for the “modernization” of 72 public hospitals in 16 of the country’s regions.
This includes the merging of government-owned and controlled corporation hospitals such as the Philippine Heart Center,Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, and theEast Avenue Medical Center in order to create the Philippine Center of Specialized Health Care.
“We will not take the privatization of government hospitals sitting down. If the privatization of public hospitals pushes through, workers and the poor will have nowhere to go to for medical attention,” Labog said.
“We are already paying huge amounts now that these hospitals are still in the government’s hands. We are revolted by the thought of how high hospital rates could go once these are privatized,” he added.