ASEANEWS HEADLINE-COURTS & CRIME | MANILA: 300 super health centers not operational – DOH
Drone footage shows a land where a P21-million health center in Marikina was supposed to be built.
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Herbosa: 300 ‘super health centers’ being probed for being non-operational, partially functional
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MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has already identified 300 super health centers classified as “incomplete,” or those that were turned over to the local government but have not operated since.
As of Friday, out of 878 super health centers funded under the DOH’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program, only 196 are “ready for occupancy,” 17 are partially operational, 300 are inoperable and 365 are still under construction.
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa personally submitted a report on his agency’s findings to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) at its Taguig office, where he explained that incomplete super health centers don’t necessarily signify anomalies.
“What we see as obstacles to operations are sometimes there’s no power and no water,” Herbosa said. “In our arrangement, it is the LGU (local government unit) that will make sure that it is connected to the electricals, that it’s connected to water lines.”
Herbosa attended an inter-agency meeting with representatives from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education (DepEd).
The DOH chief said he decided to look into the status of health facilities implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) after the flood control scandal erupted into public view.
According to Herbosa, projects with costs above P5 million that are not directly under his agency’s supervision will be carried out by the DPWH.
The concept of a super health center was championed by Sen. Bong Go in 2021. It aims to be an improved version of a rural health unit, offering a wide array of services such as laboratory work, X-ray, ultrasound and dialysis.
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Herbosa visited two super health centers – one in Marikina, which only the foundation was completed and the other in Antipolo, which opened on the very same day he inspected it.
Former Marikina mayor Marcy Teodoro, now the city’s first district representative, said the structure is not a ghost project and blamed the DOH for the delay in releasing funds.
As for Antipolo’s super health center at Sitio Tanza Dos in Barangay San Jose, Herbosa discovered it remained idle for months until its hasty opening on Thursday. The DOH turned over the structure in 2024, but delays in securing additional equipment, hiring personnel and other administrative issues pushed back its opening.
Relly Bernando, Antipolo’s public information officer, admitted that Tanza II super health center opened just on Thursday, but clarified that “there are adjacent barangay health stations that the public has been benefiting from for years.”
Herbosa said the DOH would continue investigating super health centers and forward any recommendations to the ICI for potential criminal or administrative cases. For now, Herbosa said the ICI is assisting in preventing further corruption from taking root.
Resigned speaker Rep. Martin Romualdez is scheduled to appear anew before the fact-finding body on Wednesday. Former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo will also arrive at the ICI’s office after being absent last Wednesday due to the flu.
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Citizens participatory audit
Meanwhile, the DOH yesterday said it will allow citizens to actively take part in reporting anomalies involving its non-operational super health centers spread nationwide.
The DOH said it will encourage citizens to submit reports concerning these inactive health centers.
“The DOH will activate ‘Citizens Participatory Audit’ because since the agency made public its investigation, it was able to receive reports on these non-functioning health centers from the public,” the DOH said in a social media post.
The agency has started its probe on these unfinished super health centers or health facilities still not being used.
Earlier, Herbosa said he wants to make these health facilities functional by converting it into a Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services center, or through a public-private partnership.
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“There are ways to make them functional. I can get them and run them. I just need an agreement with the mayors. I can run them through DOH personnel,” the DOH chief said. — Rhodina Villanueva
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