By Gerome Dalipe IV
Three provincial hospitals in Guimaras are struggling with a combined PHP10.95 million in uncollected debts as of Dec. 31, 2023, due to inefficiencies in their collection systems, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).
The COA noted that these uncollected funds could have been used to improve healthcare services. The failure to efficiently manage resources also violates Section 2 of Presidential Decree No. 1445, which mandates proper handling of government assets to prevent loss or wastage.
The Dr. Catalino G. Nava Provincial Hospital (DCGNPH) accounts for the largest share, with PHP10.21 million in unpaid receivables, some dating back to 2013. Of its PHP172.64 million income in 2023, about PHP5.03 million remained uncollected by year-end.
The Buenavista Emergency Hospital (BEH) and Nueva Valencia District Hospital (NVDH) also reported long-outstanding receivables.
While there have been improvements in collecting recent dues, state auditors noted that hospitals continue to struggle with older accounts. They emphasized that these persistent inefficiencies expose the hospitals to financial risks and hinder revenue generation.
During the exit conference, the Provincial Hospital Management Board attributed the issue to past staffing shortages, which limited efforts to recover overdue accounts. However, they said workforce expansion over the last two years has led to improvements in collection efforts.
To further address the problem, the board recommended creating a dedicated Credit and Collection team to handle receivables at DCGNPH and other facilities.
COA advised the provincial government to take concrete steps to recover unrealized income. These include sending demand letters to delinquent payers, seeking assistance from barangay officials when necessary, and pursuing legal action against patients with the capacity to pay but who refuse to settle their accounts.
The provincial government assured auditors that it would implement these measures to recover overdue funds and sustain hospital operations.
