PDAF abolition won’t affect hospital operations

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers next year will not affect the operations of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in this city, according to hospital chief, Dr. Julius Drilon.

Julius, brother of Senate President Franklin Drilon, disclosed in a press conference, that the CLMMRH has received a total of P15 million in medical assistance from PDAF from senators and congressmen.

Of the P15 million, Senator Drilon gave P3 million, and the rest came from Senators Chiz Escudero, Bong Revilla, Antonio Trillanes, Kiko Pangilinan, TG Guingona and Ralph Recto, former Sen. Manny Villar and representatives from Negros Occidental and some several party-lists.

This assistance went a long way in the hospital’s operating expenses, said Julius, but if the amount will be used up and no assistance would come in from lawmakers next year, CLMMRH will just use its own funds to augment this amount to continue serving its patients.

Julius said the hospital has been serving 600 to 650 patients a day, or roughly 160,000 patients a year, 38,000 of which are in-patients.

Per month, the hospital is catering to at least 5,000 out-patients and about 5,000 visitors, thus the management has to devise ways to control the safety, cleanliness, sanitation, and order in the hospital, he said. —(FREEMAN)