
The Department of Health (DOH) expressed its support to provide an additional budget for the operation of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH).
“Definitely, suportado natin kung kelangan ba talaga ng Philippine General Hospital ng karagdagang pondo para sa kanilang mga serbisyo (Definitely, we will support if PGH really needs additional funds for their services),” said DOH Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing on Friday, Aug. 26.
“We know that the UP-PGH is one of our premiere hospitals kung saan lahat ng kababayan natin halos galing sa ibat-ibang sulok ng Pilipinas pumupunta pa dito sa Maynila— sa PGH para maka-avail ng kanilang serbisyo (wherein almost of our citizens from different parts of the Philippines even come here to Manila— to PGH to avail of their services),” she added.
Vergeire said that the UP-PGH is seeking a budget of P6.1 billion for 2023.
“Pero ito po kasing hiningi nila is just for their operations, personal services and MOOE (maintenance and other operating expense); hindi pa ho kasama yung mga kailangan nila for future expansion of PGH. Kailangan din kasi nila mag-expand ng kanilang mga serbisyo, so kakailanganin din nila yung infrastructure and equipment na mga pondo (But their request is just for their operations, personal services and MOOE; they have yet to include what they need for future expansion of PGH. They also need to expand their services, so they will also need funds for infrastructure and equipment),” said Vergeire.
“So kung tayo po ay dudulog at mapapakinggan, sana po ay madagdagan pa rin ang Philippine General Hospital ng karagdagang budget para po mas maging efficient sila sa kanilang ginagawa, at mas makapag-serbisyo sa mas marami pa nating kababayan, at mas mai-expand pa ang services para mas magkaroon ng access ang ating kababayan (So if we will be heard, I hope that the PGH will be granted an additional budget so that they can be more efficient in what they do, and be able to serve more of our citizens, and expand their services so that our citizens can have more access), especially for highly technical services,” she added.
Vergeire made the statement after it was reported that at least P3.3 billion will be slashed from the proposed budgets of UP System and PGH. To note, PGH is a tertiary state-owned hospital administered and operated by the UP.