MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to file criminal complaints against executives and employees who allowed the misuse of millions of pesos in Philhealth funds to pay for thousands of ghost dialysis procedures.
In a statement, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte also directed acting Philhealth president and chief executive officer Roy Ferrer to submit a detailed report on the irregularities.
“The Palace views with deep concern the allegations of irregularities involving the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation particularly those with regard to the reported anomalis in connection with bogus kidney dialysis treatments,” Panelo said.
“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.
Panelo said all the officials involved in the alleged fraud will be held liable.
“They shall reap the harshest penalty imposed by law. Nothing can shielf them from prosecution and punishment,” Panelo said.
Panelo issued the statement after Ferrer said the corporation had suspended 38 erring officials and employees in its fight against fraud and corruption.
Some of those suspended were mid-level managers allegedly involved in processing fraudulent transactions, Ferrer said on Thursday, noting they refused to be reassigned so they could cover up their anomalous activities.
Two former employees of WellMed Dialysis & Laboratory Center Corp., Edwin Roberto and Liezel Santos, claimed that the PhilHealth-accredited facility has been processing and benefiting from claims of deceased patients.
PhilHealth officials confirmed that they were able to monitor fraudulent acts involving WellMed. Their findings showed that 28 of the medical cases that have been filed involved dead patients while 12 others are under investigation.
WellMed has denied the accusation and said its owners did not and would not in any way consent to or participate in any ghost dialysis or fraudulent scheme. (GMA News)
