VMMC: Committed to public service

Forty-six years ago, the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Diliman, Quezon City, opened its doors to disabled veterans of World War II.

Today, this living monument to the courage and bravery of Filipino soldiers remains at the forefront of providing quality medical care to veterans and their dependents as well as civilian and Philhealth patients.

Although besieged by organizational changes and limited resources, the VMMC has managed to move onwards to the 21st century, guided by its four-fold mission of giving the best possible medical care, providing residents and staff with a comprehensive and progressive training program, promoting basic and clinical research activities, and supporting the government’s civic action program by means of numerous medical outreach programs.

At the helm of this great institution is hospital director Dr. Salvador Flores, who has made several notable changes to better serve the public and make the VMMC at par with the country’s best hospitals.

These include the rehabilitation and upgrading of the electrical system, the installation of filtration and fire alarm systems, the hospital computerization program and the construction of a modern cardiology ward and canteen.

Through Flores’ efforts, the VMMC also recently acquired new equipment to meet the ever-changing needs of patients. Among its notable acquisitions are a P3.1-million ophthalmic surgical microscope, a P2.9-million arthroscope system, three ventilators worth P4.5 million, a P3-million surgical microscope, a P2.1-million endoscopic sinus surgery, five defibrillators worth P2.7 million, and 21 suction apparatus units worth P3.3 million.

At present, Flores said the VMMC serves about 600 patients a day and boasts of specialists in rehabilitation medicine, oncology, gastroenterology, cardiology, urology, endocrinology, neurology, orthopedics and dermatology, among others.

It has 21 wards, four intensive care units, eight operating rooms, one labor room and delivery room, a nursery and two kitchens.

Other facilities include cottages for hospital officials, a heliport, a 90-bed nurses’ home, theater, medical and general libraries, post office, barber shop, chapel, sewage treatment plant, laundry house and morgue.

The VMMC also has the following recreational facilities: an 18-hole golf course, two tennis courts, a basketball and volleyball court and a recreational hall in every ward. For more information, call 927-6426 to 31.