President Duterte has instructed the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to file charges against officials and employees involved in the “ghost” dialysis treatment scheme.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo made the announcement after two whistleblowers claimed that a dialysis center in Novaliches, Quezon City has been filing claims for dialysis sessions under a name of deceased patient with the State health insurance firm.
Panelo said that Malacañang is deeply concerned with the allegations of irregularities involving PhilHealth.
He said while PhilHealth has filed several administrative complaints against those involved in the anomaly, they should also pursue criminal actions against them.
“The President directs the management of the PhilHealth to institute criminal actions against those officials and employees who wittingly or unwittingly allowed such misuse of funds to take place for years,” Panelo said.
“The President instructs the institution’s acting president to submit a detailed report on these irregularities. We will put a stop to this corruption and we will make sure that the law on universal health care is strictly enforced,” he added.
The Palace official reassured that the Duterte administration is steadfast in its goal to eliminate corruption on all levels of the bureaucracy.
“All persons involved in the alleged fraud will be prosecuted and face accountability. They shall reap the harshest penalty imposed by law. Nothing can shield them from prosecution and punishment,” Panelo said.
Acting PhilHealth president Roy Ferrer said they have filed administrative cases against the dialysis center after finding “strong evidence” that it has been defrauding the state insurance fund since 2016.
“The corporation has filed 28 counts of administrative cases for claims for non-admitted, treated patients, misrepresentations by furnishing false or incorrect information, and breach of warranties of accreditation, performance, and commitments against the mentioned dialysis center,” he said in a press briefing. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
