Gov’t hit over small fund allocation for health infra
AMID overflowing hospitals, a progressive party-list lawmaker on Tuesday hit the government for only allocating one percent of P1.18-trillion 2022 infrastructure budget under the P5.024-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2022.
House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas expressed outrage over the small percentage allocation to health-based infrastructure in the national budget for next year despite the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) surge and dire state of hospitals in the country even before the pandemic.
Based on the Budget of Expenditures and Sourcing of Financing (BESF) section of the proposed budget, Brosas said only P12.58 billion will be allocated for the capital outlay of hospitals and health centers – a mere 1 percent of the total P1.18-trillion 2022 infrastructure budget.
“We are seeing how our hospitals are being stretched to their limits due to the worsening COVID-19 surge, and yet the Duterte administration still chose to overwhelmingly prioritize road networks and other structures over health-based infrastructure for next year,” Brosas said.
“Sa kada pisong ilalaan sa mga ospital, P31 ang ibibigay sa pagpapatayo at pag-aaspalto na naman ng mga kalsada. Mas malaki pa nga ang badyet para sa right-of-way kaysa sa mga ospital. Ganyan ka-tagilid ang prayoridad ng rehimeng Duterte sa panahon ng pandemya,” Brosas lamented.
While health-based infrastructure will get P12.58 billion, road networks will get P392.86 billion while P35.47 billion is allocated for right-of-way payments for clearing activities alone.
“Isusulong namin na madagdagan ang pondo para sa pagpapatayo ng mga karagdagang pasilidad na pangkalusugan gayundin ang pag-hire ng karagdagang health workers. We really need to beef up the capacity of our healthcare system especially as the pandemic is expected to spill over next year,” she added.
The Gabriela party-list lawmaker is also urging the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to explain the status of modular hospitals and quarantine facilities constructed since last year, as hospitals continue to feel the surge in cases.
On August 23, the country logged the highest COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic at 18,332. More than one-fourth of the country’s 1,220 health facilities have also reached critical level, while three-fourths of ICU beds were occupied.
