THE Sto. Niño Jesus Medical Center will cease operations and close down its facilities on July 31.

The hospital has not been economically viable in terms of its operations, the reason its Board of Trustees (BOT) decided to shut down the hospital, a June 23 copy of the minutes of the meeting with hospital employees stated.

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Aside from the displacement of hospital employees, the shutdown would also affect the tie-up of its sister institution, the Baguio Central University for its nursing and medicine courses.

News spread about the hospital’s closure when last week, management posted advertisements about the closure. Notices have likewise been furnished to employees.

The BOT assured that all statutory obligations of the hospital to its workforce will be complied with in accordance with law. Severance pays will be given on July 31.

The same document narrated the Board of Trustees, before deciding, weighed the hospital’s social relevance and operational viability. It was the latter that was considered by the Board.

Accordingly, continued operations drains the hospital’s finances.

Upgrading and maintenance of hospital equipment is also said to be taking its toll on operations.

In an effort to convince the hospital’s owner to reconsider, Dr. Norma Batnag, officer-in-charge and chief of the hospital said finances should be checked because present income could help sustain operations.

Batnag was also quoted as saying she asked lawyer Bienvenido Maceda, the owner’s counsel to try to convince his client to turn over management if only to continue with operations. She added that Sto. Niño is the only hospital in Baguio that performs hysteroscopy. 

Maceda committed to relay the message to the BOT.

Sun.Star tried to get the lawyer’s comment but he is not available as of Saturday.

Sto. Niño Jesus Medical Center is a tertiary hospital established in 1996. The hospital was opened after the Baguio Central University (formerly Lyceum of Baguio) began offering medical science courses like nursing, physical therapy, midwifery, associate in health science, and, in 2003, Doctor of Medicine. (RO)