Will renaming the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital into the Gov. Emilio Macias Provincial Hospital give a bad name to the late Governor?
Board Member Melimoore Saycon thinks so. “It would be much better to improve the services at the NOPH before renaming the hospital. The NOPH is being attacked with complaints because of poor services,” Saycon said during last week’s public hearing of the Ordinance proposed by Board Member Liland Estacion.{{more}}
Complaints, however, are not new to the NOPH, Dr. Felix Sy, NOPH chief, said.
“The hospital has a capacity of only 250 beds but is currently serving over 400 beds because of the influx of patients not just from Negros Oriental but also from neighboring provinces,” he said. At present, there are only 40 doctors–short by 50 doctors to attain the ideal workforce. The NOPH also lacks other personnel, such as nurses and other hospital staff.
The proposed ordinance aims at giving due recognition and honor to late Governor Macias, who was responsible for the successful implementation of the provincial health system.
Dr. Dante Domingo, chief of the Provincial Hospital System said among the accomplishments of late Gov. Macias is the establishment of Community Primary Hospitals in the hinterland barangays of the province. The establishment of CPH has earned the province a Galing Pook Award in Public Service. In fact, it has become a model program to other provinces in the country because of its innovative concept.
Dr. Domingo said the late governor also established the Negros Oriental Diagnostic Laboratory which is the first diagnostic center established by a Provincial Hospital in the county. Macias also allocated funding for the residency training of Ob-Gynecology doctors, acquisition of modern health care facilities and laboratory equipment, computerized information system, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), new x-ray machine, CT scan, computerized radiology system and the ongoing four-story construction of central block building.
Leo Mamicpic, a resident of barangay Banilad, however, said changing the NOPH name may cause confusion. “The NOPH is already established and besides, not all people were supporters of the late Governor,” he said. Mamicpic then proposed to leave the name NOPH alone and instead, rename the Provincial Diagnostic Center after Macias.
Board Member Edmund Dy, meanwhile, challenged his colleagues to improve the services of the NOPH. He said he hopes that everyone will take their inspiration from Gov. Macias, who was known for his priority programs towards health.
Dr. Estacion said they will consider all ideas and suggestions raised during the public hearing. She said a second public hearing has been scheduled for the second week of September. She is optimistic that the proposed ordinance will be passed and approved. (PNA/Maricar Aranas)
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