PhilHealth has put doctors and hospitals in bad light

The most unfortunate collateral damage from the ongoing PhilHealth imbroglio is being inflicted on the practicing physicians and hospitals dealing with that beleaguered institution. The image and reputation of doctors and hospital administrators had been dragged into a seriously damaging predicament.

I have read somewhere that because of PhilHealth, many anomalous practices had been attributed to some practicing physicians. A party list congressman from Mindanao had exposed a very reprehensible and syndicated shenanigan allegedly being perpetrated by a physician whom he named, but who I will not mention, in the absence of a clear and convincing evidence that shows that graft had been committed and that he is probably guilty thereof. If substantiated, such a doctor can be charged of plunder along with the PhilHealth officials he was allegedly conniving with. But if he is innocent, he is a hapless victim of some highly unfair accusations that surely besmirch his honor and reputation.

I have also read and heard from the Senate and House of Representatives' investigations that the names of prestigious hospitals had been badly tainted by very serious charges. What saddens me is that a very honorable hospital in Cebu, which is managed by a very decent and prestigious religious congregation, had been repeatedly mentioned by name. Allegedly, this hospital was suspended for being supposedly involved with highly questionable transactions concerning claims filed with PhilHealth. I cannot and will not believe that the management team of this highly prestigious hospital would, in any manner, intentionally lend its consent to any irregular and immoral transaction.

There are cruel jokes being peddled around the social media that the doctors are now surpassing the tarnished reputations of lawyers, which I firmly object to, being a member of the bar myself. The lawyers used to be the favorite objects of harsh humor, but nowadays, the doctors are getting the limelight, and the lion's share of insidious levity. This is most probably because of the PhilHealth controversies. I heard someone cracking this joke, for instance: “My doctor gave me only one month to live. And so, I shot him, and the judge gave thirty years.” And another one: “My physician told me that after my operation, I will live only up to a maximum of six months. When I told him that I was paying the bills on installments, the doctor extended his prognosis to one year.”

Hospitals that are being managed by honest owners and to managers should exercise utmost prudence in the supervision over their subordinates, especially those assigned in the accounting and billing sections. These underlings might conspire with grafters from among PhilHealth officials, as well as collaborate with some misguided doctors who could make bundles of millions out of fictitious PhilHealth claims. The COA is currently conducting a very detailed audit of all transactions, and I am sure more anomalies will be brought to light. It is not enough that hospital administrators be honest. They should be vigilant because there may be some snakes in their own medical organizations.

The can of worms that had been opened by the Senate and the House, as well as the pandora's boxes that were exposed by the testimonies of the whistle blowers, is bound to lead to plunder prosecutions and ultimate convictions. I hate to see the day when doctors and innocent religious sisters and men of God  would be dragged  into the dungeon of ignominy. Sad.