Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa is facing mounting scrutiny over hundreds of non-operational hospitals and billions of pesos in lost funds that threaten the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law.
In an interview on DZRH’s Special on Saturday program on October 4, public health expert Dr. Tony Leachon noted that out of 600 hospitals and health centers built in recent years, only about 200 are functioning.
He noted that the Department of Health (DOH) itself admitted this during recent budget hearings, with Herbosa acknowledging the poor utilization of facilities.
“These are essentially ghost hospitals,” Leachon said, warning that facilities without doctors, nurses, or equipment cannot serve communities.
“Kung magpapatayo ka ng ospital, hindi lang dapat building. Kailangan may adequate staffing, may PhilHealth integration. Otherwise, substandard.”
Leachon linked the issue to Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s warning that the DOH could be “next in line” after flood control projects came under investigation.
The health expert also pointed to the loss of an estimated ₱134 billion in potential funding for PhilHealth—₱60 billion returned by the government in 2024 and ₱74 billion excluded from the 2025 budget.
“The Secretary cannot feign ignorance here,” Leachon said. “Accountable ka sa pinakamaliit na piso para sa kalusugan.”
Critics say the absence of a strong defense of PhilHealth’s subsidy in the 2025 budget hearings reflects poorly on Herbosa’s stewardship of the department.
“So ang pananagutan ng Kalihim ng Kalusugan ay hindi lang doon sa hospitals but the overall function niya. So doon malalaman ngayon ng taongbayan kung may accountability ‘pag labas ng Korte Suprema,” Leachon said.
“Kasi sinoli ng Pangulo (ang ₱60 billion), eh. Ang naiisip ng health sector, “Ganun na lang ‘yun?” Sinoli mo noong 2024. ‘Yung lost opportunities for patients? ‘Yung kinita ng interest niyan kung saan mo man nilagay? I don’t know kung saan nilagay,” he lamented.
Leachon warned that without sufficient funding and proper staffing, the government’s commitment to UHC is in jeopardy.
“Malaki ang problema nito kasi ang pananagutan sa PhilHealth, pananagutan sa ghost hospitals, pananagutan din sa health human resource. So ang failure ng Universal Health Care, eh siyempre, naka-angkla ‘yan sa balikat ng ating Department of Health,” he stressed.
