SAN CARLOS CITY -- Heavy equipment from the Provincial Engineering Division and policemen in fatigue duty uniform arrived at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) in Barangay Bolingit here last Wednesday.
Caught by surprise were the administrative officers of PPH and the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
Governor Amado Espino Jr. instructed Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) executive officer Paterno Orduña last Tuesday to form the team for the cleaning and clearing operation at the 4.2 hectare PPH compound.
Espino said the 14 hospitals, including the provincial hospital being run by the Provincial Government, were in bad shape when he assumed office last year.
After assessing the conditions of these hospitals and regularly meeting the chiefs-of-hospital, he said they mapped out plans to improve the health services being provided by the government hospitals in the province.
"What we wanted to do is, what the private hospitals in Dagupan City could offer, the provincial hospital must be able to offer also," he remarked.
Rehabilitation works started long before Typhoon Cosme hit the province last month.
There are eight buildings at PPH, but these are poorly located; and the facilities are not really good and way below the standard of the governor.
Meanwhile, PPH officer-in-charge Policarpio de Guzman said they were surprised when the team headed by Orduña arrived. Nonetheless, they are very happy, as they have not experienced such attention from the Provincial Government before.
The governor said only the administrative and main buildings will remain when they start fixing the provincial hospital.
Prioritized to be constructed are the "birthing" or pediatric building and the dialysis building.
"We will build a modern birthing area, and all mothers (regardless of their social status) and their newborns will be treated equally," said Espino.
The dialysis building will house 10 dialysis units. The buildings will cost around P40 million including the facilities. These will be started this year and will be completed next year.
The hospital will also have a conference room (which is currently lacking), a nurses' headquarters, and a supply building, among others.
Espino said they are working with at least a P35-million budget, P11 million of which came from the Department of Health for the repair of the damages caused by Typhoon Cosme.
He said the bulk of the province's capital outlay next year would be for the hospitals.
De Guzman said there are 299 employees at the provincial hospital including the casuals and contractual.
The provincial hospital used to be a district hospital known as Bolingit Hospital. It was transformed as provincial hospital when the old provincial hospital located in Dagupan City was converted into Region 1 Medical Center.
Meanwhile, district and community hospitals undergoing rehabilitation are those in Dasol, Bolinao, Alaminos City, Bayambang, Lingayen, Mapandan, Manaoag, Asingay, Umingan and Tayug. (LCMY/Sunnex)
Source
