Councilor pushes setting up of district hospital

THE City Council committee on health envisions a self-sustaining district hospital in Davao in 10 years.

Neophyte Councilor Bernard Al-ag, committee chair, said they are planning to put up a district hospital that will be self-sustaining in 10 years during the Club 888 media forum at the Marco Polo on Wednesday.

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Al-ag said some of the city's health centers are no longer in a good condition "to provide medical services."

"Some of the major problems in our health centers are lack of facilities to render medical services, lack of staff and even some of these health centers are only offering laboratory services like blood typing and urinalysis and some only caters consultation," he said.

To address these problems, Al-ag said the city needs to set up a district hospital that will cater to primary cases, complete with basic facilities and accessible to all Dabawenyos.

"Can you imagine, patients coming from Marilog district will still go to Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) which is in Bajada," Al-ag said.

With this plan, he said "medical services are accessible to all and everyone can avail of a standard health services."

Efforts are now being exerted to realize such plan, he said.

"Like the conversion of Tibungco Maternity Clinic from a ordinary health center. Now, this center can cater maternity services and minor surgeries with doctors and nurses present as well as midwives. Though it is not yet accredited by Philhealth, it is one of the ideal health care institutions," Al-ag said. (Jereco O. Paloma)