The Department of Health (DoH) is set to investigate 297 “ghost” super health centers across the country — projects that were launched in 2021 but four years later remain unfinished.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said some centers have been completed while others are still in varying stages of construction, many of them in Luzon. He made the statement during his inspection of an unfinished health center in Barangay Concepcion Dos, Marikina City, on Wednesday morning.

“Some facilities are still stuck in the first phase. A health center should be completed within two years,” Herbosa said. “My goal as health secretary is to make sure all 297 centers become functional.”

The investigation is being conducted by the Health Facilities Enhancement Project, a DoH unit tasked with addressing gaps in public health infrastructure. Herbosa said there could be more unfinished centers nationwide and said the agency will coordinate with local government units (LGUs) to verify their status.

Last week, Herbosa expressed frustration over delays in some LGUs, saying they were responsible for ensuring the centers’ completion since they received the funds and handled the hiring of healthcare workers.

Marikina disputes DoH claim

The Marikina City government, however, pushed back against what it called the “misleading and irresponsible” claim by the DoH that the super health center in Barangay Concepcion Dos should have been finished by now.

Mayor Marjorie “Maan” Teodoro said the DoH distorted the truth about the project’s funding and implementation.

“The DoH should not mislead the public,” Teodoro said in Filipino. “If they release funds, they should be complete. The people suffer because of what the DoH is doing.”

The mayor said the city has fully completed the first phase of the project — the foundation and structural works — which the DoH has certified.

“The facts are clear,” Teodoro said. “The funds released by the DoH were only for the first phase of construction. It’s therefore false to claim the entire facility could have been completed with such limited funds.”

She said that despite repeated followups, the DoH has yet to release the funds for the next phases.

“The delay does not lie with the city of Marikina alone,” Teodoro stressed. “It lies with the DoH’s failure to provide the necessary funding.”

Out of “genuine concern for the people,” she said, the city has decided to continue the project using its own funds to ensure that the residents will get the healthcare services they deserve.

Teodoro reminded the DoH that Marikina has long extended its cooperation and goodwill to the agency, including providing city-owned land for public use such as the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center.

“Marikina stands for transparency, accountability, and genuine public service — not excuses or misinformation,” she said.

City Administrator Dr. Mark Castro said the DoH-funded Phase 1 covered only foundation works, which the city has completed.

“The city really did its part. We’re not hiding anything. We requested funds, but nothing was released. The budget was insufficient,” he said.

Castro said Marikina has repeatedly written to the DoH to request an additional P180 million to complete the project up to the fourth floor.

Because of the delay, the city has decided to fund the project itself, allocating P200 million under its 2026 Annual Implementation Plan.

“Once the P180 million is funded, there will be a new completion date,” Castro said. “But we’ll make sure the LGU does not neglect this program, especially since it’s for health. Marikina residents will benefit, and we won’t abandon this project.”

According to the DoH, at least 297 super health centers nationwide remain non-operational or unfinished as of 2025.