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Friday, December 13, 2002
Sienes: DMC will soon have its CT-scan
By Cris G. Sienes
This is welcome news for the poor in the city and throughout Region 11, who are often at their wits' end trying to figure out how they could avail of a CT-scan and other very expensive medical examinations.
THE Davao Medical Center will soon have its own CT-Scan machine. The machine costs a whopping P26 million.
This was made possible by President Gloria-Arroyo's commitment to give Dabawenyos a CT-scan machine made through Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
President Arroyo, through the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), has pledged to release P20 million, while the remaining P6 million will be shouldered by the City Government.
This is welcome news for the poor in the city and throughout Region 11, who are often at their wits' end trying to figure out how they could avail of a CT-scan and other very expensive medical examinations.
When I was still in the government, since the time of president Ferdinand Marcos up to the time I retired, I handled complaints and requests for assistance from the poor.
I came across numerous requests for CT-scans, chemotherapy, dialysis and other expensive medical examinations and treatments. I referred them either to Pagcor or to the PCSO, as they were the only agencies of government with enough money to shoulder the very costly tests and treatments.
With the Davao Medical Center soon having its own CT-scan machine, perhaps poor patients needing CT-scans need not be referred to Pagcor or the PCSO anymore.
*****
Public service does not cease with retirement. Thus, an elderly women from Caraga, Davao Oriental recently came to see me at home with a sad tale. Her pregnant daughter, a resident of a neighboring subdivision in Cabantian, was beaten up by her live-in partner. As a result, she suffered a miscarriage causing the death of the baby she carried in her womb.
I told the elderly women to file a case against her daughter's live-in partner. What happened was a clear case of wife battery. I even told her that I could make representations with my former office, the DSWD, to help her with the case. But she would have none of it. Her immediate concern was how to get her daughter out of the Davao Medical Center. They could not afford to pay her hospital bills.
I therefore scribbled a referral note to Davao Medical Center chief Dr. Gerardo Cunanan asking him to extend the usual assistance for poor patients to the elderly woman's daughter. Even though I have already retired from the government service, I remain confident that Dr. Cunanan will continue to honor my referrals for indigent patients.
As for the live-in partner of the elderly woman's daughter, he is one lucky bastard that his victim refused to file a case against him. If otherwise, he would be in jail where he belongs.
*****
Some DOTC officials allegedly pocketed some of the funds intended for the Davao International Airport. If true, this was perhaps the reason for the alleged alteration of the original design for the entire airport in order to lessen costs so that the saved funds could be pocketed.
This was perhaps also the reason why the passenger terminal building became structurally defective.
So now the opening of the Davao International Airport will be delayed for God knows when. No, thanks to the people who were involved in the alleged airport mess.
Sad it is really that corruption has become an inseparable adjunct in many government projects and transactions. The reason why the poor become poorer and the country cannot lift itself to greater heights.
Since both the City Government and the DOTC are now investigating the alleged airport mess, some DOTC people must be having sleepless nights.
We can only hope that the design for the airport runway had not also been altered. The result could be disastrous.
Point to Ponder: "The danger of the computer is not the science-fiction fear that machines will begin to think like men, but the more realistic apprehension that men will begin to think like machines." -- Personnel Success
(December 13, 2002 issue)
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