SC orders Palace to defend sale of orthopedic hospital

THE Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday ordered Malacañang to reply to the petition filed by a group of indigent patients and health professionals opposed to the privatization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) in Quezon City.

Meeting en banc, the high court issued a ruling ordering Malacañang and the Department of Health (DOH) to comment on the petition filed by the People’s Health Movement, Head Alliance for Democracy (head) and congressmen from Bayan Muna and Kabataan party-list seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the transfer of the POC to a private consortium.