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OPINION: Seeking care in a public hospital should not come with the added burden of wondering whether there will be a bed, working equipment, or even enough space to accommodate you. Patients arrive already sick, only to wait for hours in crowded emergency rooms, share limited spaces, or sit in hallways because there is nowhere else to put them. At the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, the country’s largest government hospital, around 2,000 patients are accommodated at a given time, exceeding its 1,500-bed capacity. Hospital management said the regular overcrowding has forced staff to place extra makeshift beds in hallways, particularly in the emergency room. Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila faced an even greater strain in 2025, recording a bed occupancy rate of 183.86% when newborns were included. Numbers like these can mean longer waits, less space, and fewer beds available when another emergency arrives. The situation is not limited to individual hospitals. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) found that public hospitals had median occupancy rates above 100% from 2017 to 2019, meaning hospitals were handling more patients than their beds were designed to accommodate. Public Level 2 hospitals were still at 95.36% occupancy in 2022, leaving little room when patient numbers suddenly rise. Equipment can become another obstacle. The Commission on Audit found ₱405.5 million worth of medical equipment that remained idle, undelivered, uninstalled, or unused at the end of 2024. For a patient waiting for a test, an idle machine can mean a delayed diagnosis, a referral to another facility, or another trip that a family may struggle to afford. Healthcare spending reached ₱1.87 trillion in 2025, yet patients still encounter these basic shortages. More healthcare spending should be visible where it matters most to patients. It should mean more beds when wards are full, working equipment when tests are needed, available medicines, and enough staff to provide care. Public healthcare should give patients confidence that when they walk into a government hospital, the system is equipped to treat them. Crowded hallways and idle equipment make that promise harder to believe. Filipinos help fund these hospitals through their taxes and contributions to public programs. They deserve a healthcare system that can meet them with the care, equipment, and facilities they need when they need them—with no excuses. ✍️ John Lloyd Aleta #radarPHBusiness #radarPH