DAVAO CITY – Gabriela Women’s Party slams the government’s privatization of health services and other agencies in the country.
“Kining campaign ni Aquino on public-private partnership (PPP) actually is very negative on the part of women. Kay kung i-privatize man gud nimo ang health services, bawion man gyod na sa institution ang iyahang gi-invest (The campaign of Aquino on public-private partnership actually is very negative on the part of women. If you will privatize health services, the institution will surely reclaim what it has invested),” Gabriela Representative Luz Ilagan said.
Ilagan said that privatization of hospitals would mean increase in the cost of medicines and other services.
“More and more women will not be able to access health services,” she said.
Ilagan cited Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital as for example. Fabella Hospital is the only maternity hospital that offers free health services. The hospital serves 80 to 100 deliveries a day.
“Then what are they going to do with Fabella, they will privatized Fabella as part of the medical tourism,” Ilagan said.
The proposed privatization of the hospital is to allow the development of a medical tourism market that will cater foreign clients.
“Nganong unahon man ang mga langyaw nga ang Pilipino mismo dili man gani maka-access sa health services (Why will you prioritize foreign clients when even Filipinos do not have access to health services),” she said.
She also cited that the ‘No Home Birth Policy’ of the Department of Health will only increase maternal and neonatal mortality.
Under the policy, all pregnant women should give birth only in facility-based centers attended by skilled health personnel.
“On the surface mura’g gwapo sya, sa ospital gyod ka (manganak). Pero di naman ka-afford, nganong moadto pa man sa ospital? (On the surface it looks good, to give birth in the hospital. But then they can’t afford, so why do they have to go to hospital?” Ilagan said.
“Ang lumad nga nagpuyo didto sa layo, mobaktas pa, mobiyahe pa, mosakay og kabayo, motabok og sapa para lang manganak sa ospital. Along the way patay yan (The indigenous who are living in far-flung areas will have to trek, ride their horses, cross rivers to give birth in a hospital. Along the way they will die),” she added.
Ilagan said that these policies of the government will hinder the rights of the women to access to health services.
“They are using the inefficiency, the incompetence of the government as a reason to privatize. We cannot accept that,” she said.
She added that almost everything is privatized, from the energy, transportation and education.
“There is money, lots of money that will go to private individuals or private companies kung ang basic services will be handled by private companies,” Ilagan said.
The Gabriela will have a “Women’s Health Fair” where they will give free health services such prenatal, dental care among others. The activity will be on May 28, 2015 from 9:00 am to 4:00 at Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF). (Diana C. Tomale/davaotoday.com)
