Senator Nancy Binay actually had a point, earlier at the Senate Hearing/Probe on the heatedly-contested DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program). Hindi niyo ba naisip to buy hospital beds instead of stem cell research? 70 million pesos is equivalent to 1,400 beds, she said. Secretary Ona of the Department of Health was put on the hot seat. If DAP was really used for its purported purpose of accelerating distribution of funds and compensating lack of budget (ie General Appropriations), why is budget for public hospitals still sorely lacking and public-private partnerships (PPP) still being promoted, even though it raises medical costs and passes the burden to patients? When asked about why public hospitals remain underfunded despite DAP, Sec Ona said to look at the bigger picture. You cant help but ask why. Is the government really serving the people, especially the underserved and marginalized? Why is it prioritizing something that is still theoretical (stem cell research) over something that is CONCRETE, URGENT, 100%-sure (hospital beds)? Ang PGH pa raw ang walang compassion niyan ah, eh taun-taon nga kinakaltasan ng budget ng pamahalaan. May pera nga sa DAP at stem cell research, kulang naman ang nilalaan na pera sa measles, dengue, malaria, HIV-AIDS research at public hospitals. Neoliberal framework naman yung bigger picture nya eh. Read: Budget cuts and privatization everywhere. Nasaan ang program planning at policy-making skills, DOH?
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 15:55:25 +0000
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