Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday urged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Health (DOH) to hold hospitals that violate the Strengthened Anti-Hospital Deposit law criminally liable.
(Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Hontiveros, author of the law, said DOH, local government units (LGUs) and law enforcement agencies should actively monitor and enforce sanctions using their regulatory powers on these hospitals who violate the law.
The senator stressed it is unlawful for hospitals to demand cash deposits from emergency patients before providing them treatment.
“It is unjust to ask a dying person to cough up money before even attempting to save his or her life,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
“Bakit natin itinataboy ang mga pasyenteng nasa hukay na ang isang paa? Dapat maparusahan ang lumalabag sa batas. Hindi makatarungang may mga pasyenteng namamatay dahil sa kawalan ng pera lalo na sa gitna ng isang health crisis (Why shun patients whose lives are already in the line? Violators of the law should be penalized. It’s illegal that there are patients who die due to lack of money especially in the middle of a health crisis),” she said.
At the same time, Hontiveros welcomed the criminal charges the NBI filed against two hospitals that refused to admit a pregnant woman without initial deposit in April. This incident led to her death.
“I hope the NBI, with the assistance of DOH and LGUs, will continue to file criminal charges against similar violators. Hospitals must not get away with these unjust refusals that literally kill our fellow Filipinos,” she said.
“Two people, a mother and her child, died that day, as countless others have because of this selfish practice,” she pointed out.
The senator said LGUs should mobilize their Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) to “own up to this life-saving responsibility, especially that they have consistently received assistance from the government in all health emergencies, including COVID-19.”
Under the law, hospitals that would demand any form of advance payment as a prerequisite to life-saving treatment stand to face imprisonment of up to 6 years, and a fine of P1-million.
Licenses of hospitals found violating the law could also be revoked. Likewise, errant hospital employees will face imprisonment of up to two years and 4 months, and a fine of up to P300,000.