Sunday, March 23, 2008 Hospital receives P86M foreign grant
TOP officials of the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (Noph) assured the public that services in the hospital will be improved with the infusion of a foreign grant which totals up to P86 million pesos.
Provincial health officer Dante Domingo said he is optimistic that health services will be greatly improved.
The province is one of the 16 areas in the country chosen by the European Union (EU) to receive the grant for the five-year health program.
Domingo explained that the funding from the EU would be spent for the upgrading of health facilities and equipment, as well as training and technical assistance to the different provincial government-run hospitals.
He added that the hospital is among the top choices of the EU for the program because of its track record in the delivery of health services despite the many problems brought by the devolution of hospital services from the national government to local government units (LGUs) several years ago.
The health officer said the program also aims to address the over-crowding of patients at the government-run hospital, since facilities and hospital equipment of primary and district hospitals in the province will be upgraded.
Domingo said at present, many patients who are supposed to be treated either at the primary or district hospitals are being brought to Noph because of lack of facilities or equipment.
"With the program, primary and district hospitals will be capacitated, enabling them to treat (their own) cases," he said. (Edmund B. Sestoso)
