Senator Dick Gordon warned both public and private hospitals against committing unjust practices or they could also be sanctioned like the ACE Medical Center – Baypointe in the Subic Freeport which is now facing a complaint filed by the senator with the Department of Health (DOH).
Gordon said the DOH has revoked Baypointe’s permit to operate blood service facilities and ordered the downgrading of the said hospital from being a second level medical facility to mere infirmary since second level hospitals are required to maintain a blood service facility to maintain its current level.
“The DOH has revoked its permit to operate blood service facilities.”
“Baypointe was found to be liable for violating various administrative orders pertaining to the dispensation of blood, hence it’s license to operate a blood service facility was revoked prompting its downgrading. As a consequence, the hospital could not accept new admissions to its intensive care unit (ICU), neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and its high-risk pregnancy unit (HRPU) once the downgrading is implemented,” the seasoned legislator said.
Current patients at the ICU, NICU, HRPU of the hospital will be continuously managed and treated at their respective areas for humanitarian consideration.
The veteran lawmaker wrote a letter to the DOH after getting a complaint that the hospital billed an ICU patient almost P200,000 for blood and blood services alone. Gordon added that the hospital not only charge exorbitant fees for blood, it also required blood coming from the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to be re-tested.
According to Gordon, the blood manual of Baypointe states that all blood products from another facility shall be tested. In its letter of explanation, the hospital admitted that it has been conducting retesting of blood products coming from another blood service facility. The DOH said this is a clear violation of the department’s existing rules and regulations on the prohibition of the re-testing of blood products obtained from a licensed blood center.
“This should serve as a warning to all hospitals – both public and private. Stop committing unjust practices, such as charging exorbitant fees for blood, requiring re-testing of blood coming from the PRC, among others. Don’t add any more burden to your patients. Adhere to your Hippocratic Oath or you could be severely sanctioned,” the senator warned.
“Don’t add any more burden to your patients.”
