The Department of Health (DoH) on Friday said it has resolved four “palit-ulo” complaints against a private hospital in Valenzuela.

In complaints filed by Allied Care Experts (ACE) Medical Center in Valenzuela it alleged that the private hospital unlawfully detained relatives of patients until outstanding medical bills were settled.

The practice, colloquially referred to as “palit-ulo,” involved requiring relatives of patients to have a replacement person present if they wished to leave the hospital premises.

On 18 September, the DoH-Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau (HFSRB) found ACE Medical Center Valenzuela not guilty in two of the complaints alleging detention.

The HFSRB determined that Republic Act 9439 or the Anti-Hospital Detention Law is a penal law beyond the limited administrative powers of the DoH, adding that the two cases were dismissed because the DoH is not the appropriate government tribunal with the power to enforce the Anti-Hospital Detention Law.

To recall, the DoH Metro Manila Center for Health Development conducted thorough investigations into the factual circumstances surrounding the complaints lodged as Zafra v. ACE Medical Center Valenzuela, Alvaro v. ACE Medical Center Valenzuela, Magtangob v. ACE Medical Center Valenzuela, and Ignacio v. ACE Medical Center Valenzuela.

Meanwhile, HFSRB found ACE Medical Center Valenzuela liable in the Zafra and Ignacio cases.

In the Zafra case, HFSRB found that ACE Medical Center Valenzuela failed to register the birth of the complainant’s daughter due to an outstanding bill.

This prevented the child from enrolling in school, violating DoH Department Circular 2020-0120 and Administrative Order 2012-0012, which mandate that all hospitals must register births, regardless of the parents’ financial status.