I’ll go back to “regular programming” in a day or two on my blog, but here’s a thought (and a few questions)–
So I heard PGH has trouble paying for their electricity and water bill (over Php 100M in debt?), and that the whole hospital might be cut off from those services. This is where my question comes in–
1. Isn’t PGH also a government hospital?
2. If they’re a government hospital, then won’t the government protect the hospital and not allow it to run without electricity and water?
Someone please enlighten me. What will happen to PGH if they get cut off???
I’m honestly really baffled. And quite disturbed.
Nakakaawa ang PGH. Maybe Mrs. T you should look into them as well for your succeeding fund raisers.
The government does not infuse money into these hospitals. At least not enough. They should do so much more. These very people the hospital treats are the masses who comprise our Philippine society.
It’s sad news, really. Simply put, many patients will die if we get cut off.
yes, PGH is a government hospital but its under UP, a small portion UP budget is given to PGH, this is one sad reality. PGH is still running because of kindhearted sponsors and donors 🙁 i was an medical intern there for a year and i know for a fact that a lot of patients especially in the ICU would suffer
The funding for each government hospital differ.Not all from DOH which is kind of weird. From what I know, the funds for running PGH comes from the Office of the President OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES and not really the DOH. The DOH funds Jose Reyes, Fabella, East Avenue Medical. Other government hospitals are funded by the local municipal government (e.g Ospital ng Makati – Makati City hall; Ospital ng Maynila – Manila City hall etc.)…. So sad the plight of our government hospitals….and our officials had to eat at LeCirque ,which is not even Michelin star rated. 🙁
nakakaawa talaga at PGH. The interns would even use their allowance so that their patients could live! ewan ko anong ginagawa ni GMA. Dining at Le Cirque while hundreds of patients are suffering… to the tax payers’ expense!
PGH is under UP. With the meager budget being given by the govt every year, i am not surprised that this is happening. The UP-educated tongressmen and senators should do something about it but it has been the UP Student Council’s problem for years now, it always fall on deaf ears kasi. the fact that limited budget is given to UP is unconstitutional. It is a State U but look where its revenue is coming from the past year.
Correction lang.
PGH funds come from the government’s allocation for the UP System. It is augmented by lots of donations: from GMA, some senators, the senate and congressional spouses’ foundations, private corporations, etc.
UP would lobby for a budget, around only half of which the NG would approve. Most of it is allocated for maintenance and other operating expenses.
The PGH case, I believe, is a result of mismanagement/misplaced priorities. The hospital director, Carmelo Alfiler, would always harp about the hospital’s big savings every year. Little did we know that they were not even paying the outstanding electricity bills! To think that there were times that we would run out of cotton balls and alcohol, and even bond papers for reproduction of hospital forms! And yet the director focused rather on re-painting and other facelifting projects, ISO acreditation (and hiring a third-party management company for it), and other inane projects. Now, where do these savings go? So much for grandstanding (complete with a PowerPoint presentation in Malacanang).
It is very unfortunate for PGH, especially for its current and propective patients. But the current administration let it become this worse.
this is just sad, I mean if our gov’t made healthcare one of its top concerns, then they won’t allow this to happen…
@Vhanya + All anonymous posters:
It is so sad. I just really hope at the end of the day, the government saves PGH. I heard too in the past that some of peeps who have donated funds (which went straight to PGH) were not given official receipts. So I don’t really know if they also pocket the money or not, although I am inclined to think they don’t. After all, they shouldn’t.
How sad that the money goes to “beautifying” the hospital. It’s crazy 🙁
Thank you so much for shedding light on this matter. I really had no idea how big a role the government plays when it comes to funding for these hospitals.
Coca-Cola donated 100 million to PGH. It should have been enough to cover the bills. But it all went to the renovation of the PRIVATE wards.
@PBB: Yeah I agree completely, but I realize too that to put up a healthcare system– one that works, requires so much more than just lip service.
Anon: I was reading up on that! I don’t understand why the private wards had to be renovated… the public who have no money to pay should be accorded the right to get treated there too. But then, I also feel bad for the doctors there who, reports claim, are even offered chickens as payment sometimes because the patients don’t have money but have livestock. It’s a shame 🙁