PHA-Exch> HEAD Philippines on 2009 national health budget

[Claudio Schuftan]

   *Health **Alliance** for Democracy (HEAD)*

*2/F** Doña** **Anita Bldg, 284 E. Rodriguez Ave.**, Quezon City***

*Telefax: (02) 725 4760        Email: headphil at gmail.com***

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*Media Release  excerpts*

*08 October 2008***

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*"The 2009 National Health Budget: Investing in Medical Tourism" - HEAD *

The Arroyo government is investing in health care – but for foreign medical
tourists, not for Filipino patients.

The much-ballyhooed increase in the Department of Health (DOH) budget for
2009 is actually a continuing and growing investment in government-sponsored
medical tourism, based on a study by Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) of
past and current national health budgets. HEAD led members of the health
sector that trooped to the House of Representatives earlier today to
underscore their criticism of the 2009 health budget.

 "The DOH budget for Health Facilities Enhancement Program of P180 million
in 2007 suddenly became P1.66 billion in 2008, a whooping 822% increase! For
2009, this amount increases even further by 22.29% to P2.03 billion,"
according to Dr. Geneve E. Rivera, HEAD secretary-general. "Yet public
hospitals and government-run health facilities continue to wallow in a state
of disrepair and lack of adequate facilities."
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