“The Hospital Holiday threat posed by the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAP) reduced private hospitals and doctors into mere businessmen who put profit first before public health forgetting their sworn oath to save and protect their patient’s lives from harm and injustice. The statement is a clear indication that private hospitals have become profit oriented – standing to gain from the ailments of its patients.” Edeliza Hernandez, Executive Director of Medical Action Group (MAG) said.
In protest of Republic Act 9439 of the Hospital Detention Law, PHAP threatened to conduct a Hospital Holiday in which hospitals, except the Emergency ward will temporarily close down from once to three times each month until December should the private hospitals negotiation with the Department of Health failed. The Law seeks to ban hospitals from releasing patients on the grounds of non-payment of hospital bills.