Ghost’ Health Centers Plague Philippines; Thousands Denied Medical Care as Projects Stall

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa

Ghost’ Health Centers Plague Philippines; Thousands Denied Medical Care as Projects Stall

By Wilma N. Yamzon – TheNationWeek.Com | October 17, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – Thousands of impoverished Filipinos are being denied access to vital medical services due to the existence of hundreds of incomplete or non-operational “super health centers” across the nation.

The Department of Health (DOH) has identified 297 such facilities, dubbed “ghost” centers, built under its Health Facilities Enhancement Program, highlighting a critical failure in healthcare infrastructure development.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa is scheduled to testify before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Friday, October 17, 2025, presenting the DOH’s findings on these non-functional health centers.

The revelation comes after Herbosa personally inspected one of the 297 centers in Marikina, a project stalled after only the first phase of its proposed four-story structure was completed.

“To me, this is a waste of money,” Herbosa said, emphasizing that the allocated P21 million for the project had remained stagnant, failing to serve a single patient.

“Did it serve a single patient? No.”

The funds, he alleged, were inserted into the DOH budget under the General Appropriations Act.

The DOH has directed all regional directors to conduct comprehensive inspections of health centers within their jurisdictions, identifying projects that are delayed or non-operational.

‘Super Health Center’

The construction of “super health centers,” intended to be operated by local government units, began in 2021, with each facility costing between P12 million and P20 million and requiring one to two years for completion.

The stalled projects are hindering the DOH’s efforts to alleviate overcrowding in government hospitals.

Herbosa stressed the importance of making the 297 “super health centers” operational to improve access to healthcare for underserved communities.

Meanwhile, Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno has raised concerns about the delayed payment of benefits to healthcare workers who served during the COVID-19 pandemic, questioning its inclusion in the 2026 national budget.

“That raises a lot of questions. Why is it only now? It’s been too long, and it is still there. Who has the accountability for this? Why is this happening? This should have been settled a long time ago,” Diokno said in an interview.

He emphasized the sacrifices made by healthcare workers during the pandemic and the need for timely compensation.

The “ghost” health center scandal and the delayed compensation for healthcare workers underscore significant challenges in the Philippine healthcare system, raising concerns about accountability and the effective allocation of resources to ensure access to quality medical services for all Filipinos.