Health chief needs P9b to sanitize govt hospitals

Health Secretary-designate Enrique Ona wants to deodorize “dirty and smelly” public hospitals to the tune of P9 billion starting next year.

The move to beautify and clean all 701 state-run hospitals across the nation is part of President Aquino’s campaign to improve the delivery of health service, Ona told a press briefing.

But it can only be carried out with Congress’ approval of the Health department’s proposed budget of P33.5 billion for 2011, Ona said at the launching of the campaign.

Of the proposed budget, P9 billion has been earmarked for the campaign although the department will need as much as P18 billion to complete the hospital cleanliness drive in two to three years, Ona said.

The Health chief stressed that “hospitals should be centers of wellness and not of sickness, hence the need to always maintain a clean environment. “

“The face of the government with regard to health is the face of our hospitals especially government hospitals,” Ona said as he pointed out that the poor state of public hospitals has always been a source of complaints among patients and caregivers.

Hospital authorities should make sure that the wards, rooms, lavatories, hallways, and corridors inside the hospital premises and its surroundings are always clean, orderly and odor-free, Ona said.

In an administrative order he issued on Tuesday, Ona directed the Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns and regional directors to conduct spot checks of hospitals and ensure that hospital  premises including driveways and parking areas are clean and orderly at all times.

Ona also said that the Philippine Health Insurance will register as new members 4.7 million indigents on Sept. 18.

Their monthly premium payment will be jointly shoulderered by the Philhealth and the local government who has jurisdiction over them, said Ona, who also chairs the Philhealth board. The monthly premium amounts to P100, of which Philhealth will pay for the half, and the local government, the other half. –Macon Araneta, Manila Standard Today