Increase in NCH budget sought

Tulfo is pushing for the increase of the budget of the National Children’s Hospital

Increasing the budget of the National Children’s Hospital would not only boost its operations but will be most beneficial to pediatric patients seeking complete medical attention, Senator Raffy Tulfo said Tuesday.

Tulfo’s remarks came after witnessing “the appalling and heartbreaking situation” in the hospital. He lamented the NCH lacks manpower and has below-industry-standard facilities, with outdated or lacking equipment.

The lawmaker urged the Department of Health, Department of Budget and Management, and other senators to personally visit the children’s hospital.

“I invite you to visit this hospital so you can see firsthand how pathetic the condition of the patients there. When I talked to them, they told me that no government official have been visiting them,” he said.

“There is something wrong in the way they are treated and how the government handles them. They are not getting the help they must receive,” Tulfo maintained.

Tulfo suggested augmenting the NCH budget by sourcing funds from “underperforming” government agencies.

He called on the authorities to pay attention to the needs of the hospital and its patients.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEY SANCHEZ MENDOZA FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE DEAD tired after strolling Luneta Park Tuesday, a father and his son fall asleep on the sidewalk, unmindful of passersby.