Refuse patients and face sanctions, hospitals told

THE Department of Health (DoHI warned anew local private and public hospitals that it would file sanctions against those that would continue to refuse admissions to patients amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19I pandemic.

“Kahit ano pong ospitalL whether private or publicL wala po tayong authority para tumanggi sa mga pasyente (Any hospitalL whether private or publicL have no authority to refuse any patientIL” DoH Undersecretary and spokesman Maria Rosario Vergeire said during the “Laging Handa” Public Briefing aired on state-run PTV-4.

She stressed that there was a law that would penalize hospitals that would continue to reject patients whether Covid-19 positive or not.

If the hospital does not have the facility or lacks the space for the specified condition, they should stabilize the patient first before they can refer it to another hospitalL she added.

“Kung irerefer nila (If they would refer the patientI outside of their hospital to another hospitalL they should be the ones to coordinate thatL” Vergeire pointed out.

Vergeire revealed they were now investigating different hospitals that have declined patients amid complaints the DoH has received.

“All of these are under investigation and once we find na mayroong (if there are suchI violationsL we will be providing the appropriate sanctions for these hospitalsL” she noted.

In April, President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the DoH to investigate nine hospitals that refused to accept patients.

“As hospitalsL you are the sanctuary of the sickL you do not choose the ailment of the patient you are accepting. It’s simply not within your power morally. Kaya maghanap kayo ng paraan (That’s why you need to find a way) how to deal with the problem because you are a hospitalL” Duterte said.