PRIVATE hospitals should look to increase their charity bed allocations to at least 30% of their total capacity from the current 10% to give indigent patients access to quality healthcare, a congressman said Wednesday.
“We want to increase the current allocation of private hospitals at 10% bed capacity for indigent patients… to 30%,” Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee said in a statement in Filipino. “This would increase the bed capacity for patients [in need of medical aid].”
A 2007 Department of Health order outlined that all private hospitals should allocate at least 10% of their bed capacity for indigent patients.
Increasing the charity bed capacity would enable more indigent Filipinos to receive quality healthcare from private hospitals at affordable costs, Mr. Lee said.
Hospitals should also publicly state the number of charity wards available for poor patients.
“This is one of the shortfalls,” he said in Filipino. “This is because hospitals often tell [indigent patients] that there are no more available wards for them.”
Indicating the number of available charity beds and wards would help patients to know their healthcare options, allowing them to decide whether to stay or transfer to other hospitals, said Mr. Lee.
Filed in early May, House Resolution No. 1716 seeks to ensure that hospitals publicly declare the number of available wards for indigent patients at their entrances.
“The availability of… charity beds in accredited hospitals are essential information for beneficiaries to make informed decisions about their healthcare options,” the bill stated. “The lack of clear and visible information regarding the availability of PhilHealth wards may lead to confusion and hinder beneficiaries from utilizing their… benefits.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
