THE newly-renovated Camp Panacan Station Hospital (CPHS) at Felix Apolinario Naval Station in Davao City, was inaugurated on Wednesday, July 19, providing improved facilities for the military personnel in Eastern Mindanao.
The renovation was sponsored by the SM Foundation Inc. as its 22nd military facility improvement since the past years.
The CPHS is a 38-bed hospital initially assigned to the Philippine Army and was transferred to the Philippine Navy under the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao.
About 5,000 personnel from the Armed Forces, Navy, Air Force, and Philippine National Police are provided with health care by the hospital.
SM Foundation Inc. Health and Medical Program executive director Connie Angeles, during the inauguration, said the renovation done in CPSH resulted to an accreditation as a Department of Health-Level 1 Health Care Facility alongside its accreditation as a Philhealth member.
Angeles said the hospital is now equipped with basic ancillary services such as the 12-lead ECG, radiography with complete clinical laboratory, and an X-ray room.
CPHS Commanding officer-in-charge Erickson Gob said aside from the additional facilities, the renovation also contributes to the fast recovery of military patients because of the improved ambience of the hospital.
Philippine Navy Chief Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado, as the guest of honor in the event, said the inauguration of the hospital was originally expected last March of this year but it was postponed due to conflicting schedules of the military staffs.
"Though our job involves risking our own lives, one thing that kept us do our mandate to protect the country are those people who recognized our efforts like the SM Foundation Inc.," Mercado said.
He added that there are also other civilian organizations providing assistance to the military facilities in other parts of the country aside from SM Foundation Inc.
Mercado assured the whole nation that the Philippine Navy will be doing its best to protect Philippine borders against any possible threats affecting the nation.