But, he added, privatization should not disrupt CHC’s important services extended to indigent patients.
CHC as a government entity must abide with procurement regulations and this causes delay in acquiring hospital and medical supplies urgently needed, Santos.
It also affects CHC’s manpower because as a government-administered hospital, it has to adhere to civil service regulations in the hiring and retaining of workers, he added.
Whatever money is generated by CHC will go to the general fund of the commonwealth’s government, he said.
In contrast, Santos added, a private hospital can utilize the revenue it collects for its own improvement and programs.
The Fitial administrative favors the privatization of CHC to help reduce the cost of the department’s operations and improve its services.
The privatization will include services to be offered by the new Dr. Jose T. Villagomez Public Health and Hemodialysis Center facility which is adjacent to CHC.
But the administration earlier cancelled the bidding for the hospital’s outpatient clinic privatization, saying that it needed a “more comprehensible plan” for the facility.
During a meeting with lawmakers on Tuesday, Finance Secretary Eloy Inos disclosed that Department of Public Health only generates $15 million from its operations every year while spending around $40 million.
Inos said CHC should be given autonomy so it can run on its own operations and outsource some of its services.
But he said that any privatization should not compromise the delivery of critical health services to the people.
