The Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) on Sunday, Aug. 29 said that healthcare workers are feeling maltreated following the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation's (PhilHealth) debts to hospitals.
"Sana tratuhin kami ng tama ng PhilHealth kasi medyo masama na po ang loob ng aming kasamahan kasi ang feeling po namin ay masyado na po kaming minamaltrato (I hope PhilHealth treats us right because our colleagues are a little upset because we feel that we are being maltreated too much)," PCP president Dr. Maricar Limpin said in an interview with DZBB.
The doctor said that some hospitals did not receive hospital claims since March last year.
"Ang mga tao, mga doktor, mga ospital, sinasabi po nila na talagang wala pong ibinibigay ang PhilHealth (People, doctors, hospitals, they say that PhilHealth really doesn't provide anything)," she added.
Although feeling maltreated, the health workers assured it will still continue to treat patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Limpin said.
"Ang nasa isip namin na gawin ang aming trabaho. Siguraduhin na ma-save natin ang malaking porsyento ng kababayan, kung hindi lahat at least malaking porsyento (What we have in mind is to do our job. To make sure we save a large percentage of the countrymen, if not all and at least a large percentage)," she said.
In a House hearing last Aug. 24, Philhealth said that it owes hospitals a total of P21.1 billion worth of unpaid claims.
On Saturday, PhilHealth spokesperson Dr. Shirley Domingo clarified that the said P21.1 billion are not all debts.
"Madagdagan at mababawasan pa ito. Nagbabayad kasi tayo everyday (It will still increase and decrease because we pay everyday)," she said.