10 Capitol hospitals get status upgrade

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health has granted a level one status to 10 out of the 16 provincial and district hospitals in Cebu to allow these facilities to perform surgical operations.

The hospitals which were given the upgrade status include the provincial hospitals in the cities of Carcar, Bogo and Danao, and the district hospitals in Bantayan, Barili, Badian, Tuburan, San Francisco, Argao, and Sogod.

Apart from the surgical operations, laboratory examinations like ultrasound and electrocardiogram (ECG) tests are already made available in these hospitals. The licensing office of the DOH-7 granted the accreditation earlier this month.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said that the accreditation would help indigent patients living in far towns because they would no longer need to be transported to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.

“Our objectives sa atong mga ospital is makaopera na. Maka-perform og surgical operations, caesarians for example. Ato pud pangandoy nga makakuha ta’g dialysis machines. Wa pa man gud ta ana,” he added.

At least P6 million has been earmarked by the province for other expenses such as for the upgrading of the operating rooms and the purchase ofX-ray machines. Davide added that the provincial government has entered into contracts of consultancy with medical diplomats who would be assigned to different provincial and district hospitals.

Capitol is hiring medical specialists in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, internal medicine and pediatrics which is required under the existing law for level one hospitals.

Dr. Cynthia Genosolango, chief of the Integrated Provincial Health Office, in a post on the official website of the Capitol said that the accreditation would help the beneficiaries of the PhilHealth program.

PhilHealth Circular 32 series of 2013, also known as Point-of-Care Enrollment program, automatically enrolls indigent non-members who are confined in government hospitals.—(FREEMAN)