HEALTH Secretary James U. Hofschneider has ordered a halt to the four-year-old practice of collecting a $60 telephone deposit from patients of the Commonwealth Health Center.
The order took effect on May 31.
“This is in line with our goal of having a patient-friendly environment here at CHC,” Hofschneider said in an interview yesterday.
This decision also resulted from Verizon’s donation to the CHC Volunteers and to CHC of 80 brand new telephone units to be used by all patients confined at the government hospital.
Acting Verizon General Manager Anthony Mosley and Antonia Apatang, Verizon senior administrator for public affairs and community services, yesterday presented the telephone units to Hofschneider, other health officials and the CHC Volunteers led by Susan P. Schwarz.
In a May 31 memorandum, Hofschneider approved the installation of all available phones at all the 86 rooms of the government hospital.
“Therefore, the current practice of telephone deposits shall cease as we put all our efforts to monitor and provide consistent quality service and minimize hospital loss,” he said.
Hofschneider, however, said it is important that a physical inventory of all room amenities and items be conducted on admission, and at the time of patient discharge.
Hospital items missing from the room at the time of the discharge will be charged to the patient’s account, and will be reflected in his hospital bill, said Hofschneider.
Aside from the waiving of the $60 telephone deposit, CHC also continues to implement housekeeping and cleaning chores, in-house policy against betel nut chewing and spitting as well as room inventory.
Hofschneider and Schwarz thanked Verizon for donating 80 telephones to CHC.
“This would really help not only the patients and their families, but the hospital as well. CHC requested for help, the CHC Volunteers responded and called Verizon, and Verizon donated us the phones,” said Hofschneider.
Each telephone unit costs $36, for a total of $2,880 for 80 units.
The donated phones would replace damaged, antiquated and lost phones. “I kindly ask your support and cooperation so we can all be proud in keeping our health facilities clean, smoke- and litter-free, as well as minimizing hospital property loss,” Hofschneider said.
For the past four years, CHC has been collecting $60 telephone deposit from patients. If the phone is missing at the time of discharge, the $60 will be kept by the hospital.
