TAYTAY, Rizal — In what appears to be another first in the Philippines, a local government-run public healthcare institution has reportedly cut its operating hours amid lack of doctors to attend emergency cases.
In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, netizens took turns lambasting the supposed failure to address health emergency situations at the Taytay Emergency Hospital, a local government unit-owned and operated medical facility.
The post had photos of a hospital utility worker seated on a bench in a diagonal position blocking at the hospital entrance.
A hospital should ideally be open 24 hours a day, especially its emergency department, to ensure immediate access to medical care for patients experiencing critical or life-threatening situations at any time, regardless of the day or hour.
DEPRIVED LOCAL FOLKS
According to the netizen behind the Facebook post, she went to the Taytay Emergency Hospital amid symptoms of a “stroke.”
“Nakakadismaya emergency kagabi… pumunta kami dahil masama pakiramdam ko manhid katawan ko, sakit ulo batok, yun pala sobrang taas na ng BP ko. Totoo pala mga nabasa ko post reklamo dyan hospital Taytay Emergency… walang doktor.”
She claimed that it wasn’t just her who was deprived of emergency treatment. “Maya-maya pa may dumating humingi ng tulong may aksidente… wala din aksyon umalis na lang kami. Mayor Allan (de Leon) sana po umaksyon kayo nangyayari Taytay Emergency,” reads part of her Facebook post.
She nevertheless got treatment in another hospital, but had to ask help from relatives and friends who pooled funds to pay her bill for saving her life.
CLOSED BEFORE SUNSET
According to another resident by the name of Yayam Dizon, Taytay Emergency Hospital is operating on limited “business” hours — from 8:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon.
While most government offices strictly adhere to 8 to 5 working hours, public hospitals are supposed to be 24-7, Dizon said.
“Saan ka ba naman nakakita ng Emergency Hospital na 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM lang? Ano yun kapag may emergency situation sasabihin sa pasyente at pamilya nito bumalik na lang bukas dahil sarado na kami?,” a sarcastic first paragraph of a separate Facebook post reads.
The local government has yet to issue a statement.
UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE
In 2019, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11223, otherwise referred to as the Universal Health Care Act (UHC Act) primarily designed to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all Filipinos.
Under RA 11223, all Filipinos – regardless of age, socio-economic status, gender,, ethnicity are automatically enrolled in the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP).
The law ensures protection of citizens from financial hardship, expands the health benefit packages, brings more doctors to remote communities, improves overall health system performance, and ensures equitable access to quality and affordable health care.