Joey Vincent C. Motel | February 19, 2022
“Kung ang imong gusto serbisyo publiko sa imong constituents, kung ang tuyo usa ka healthy community, you have to spend for them, dili pwede nga magsige kag proyekto bisag unsa dinha nya ang imong constituents dili healthy,” said Dra. Nelita Navales.
In a recent interview with the former City Health Officer recently, Navales lamented on the present administration’s neglect to operate the supposed city hospital situated in Brgy. San Pablo. The blatant disregard sprout from the claims of the administration that the edifice was just a maternity clinic and doesn’t fit to the standards of a hospital. Navales however refused to adhere to such claims.
She recalled that for twelve (12) long years, she dedicated her life and service for the betterment of the health sector in the city. Appointed in 2007, she saw how centralized the health programs were before. “Sayo kaayo maglinya kay magpailogay sa priority number.”
This prompted the then Eric Codilla administration to create the six (6) district health centers as to decentralize the health programs of the city and bring it closer to the people.
The district health centers were strategically placed in convergence areas in the city to cater the needs of the people. As each health center is manned by a doctor, this program resulted to preventive health measures, efficient and effect confining of outbreaks and a cheaper and accessible health program for every Ormocanon.
The district health centers used to cater laboring mothers with its Maternal Care Package. With the program in full swing, Navales disclosed that the need for a referral hospital gradually came into light. While the health centers catered normal delivery, those with complications like bleeding, hypertensive mothers and the like needed hospital intervention. However, as the Ormoc District Hospital remained to be the only government hospital, some of their referred patients were forced to go into private health institutions.
Thus, the local government unit (LGU) in 2010 explored the feasibility of constructing its own city hospital. Navales recalled the times wherein she and the members of the technical working group (TWG) spent countless hours and sleepless night aside from intensive study and research to assess the capacity of the city to operate a city hospital. The Sangguniang Panlungsod, on their part, also studied the nitty-gritty of the project and the needed legislation for its conception that led to the passage of Ordinance 179.
Their hard work paid off eventually as months later, the Department of Health Central Office issued the LGU-Ormoc the Permit-to-Construct (PTC) for the city hospital. Navales recalled that the city just requested for the PTC and not for any subsidy or financial assistance for the project which was completed between 2012 and 2013.
The DOH issued the PTC for the construction of a 25-bed hospital with special for DR/OR complex. The said city hospital was also issued special permit for caesarian operations.
This, Navales added, will contradict to the claims that what the former Codilla administration constructed was basically a maternity and birthing facility and not a hospital. “Dili na siya tinuod gyud nga kana sya nga building (is) for birthing center. Nganong maghimo man tag hospital nga birthing center nga naa naman tay 6 ka birthing centers? Nauna naman pagkahimo ang atong district health centers. Ang atong hospital is ang ato referral hospital. Ang dili makaya sa atong health centers like mga nanay nga high-blood nga na-stroke, naa tay ka balhinan nga ato nga hospital.”
The said claims seemed to be merely political in nature as former Health Secretaries Janet Garin and Enrique Ona both visited during the construction of the edifice and lauded the initiative, she added.
When asked of whether the city could shoulder the financing of the said hospital, Navales quickly quipped, “At this point, if the ospital has operated, makasabot na ta if angayan pa ba nato ipadayon, or ipasara or iexpand. Di nato masulti if makaya ba nato or dili kundili nato ablihan.” However, she remained steadfast that the city could afford to operate as the finance committee of the LGU was actively involved in the planning and already gave assurance of its viability.
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