ON ITS 56th year, the JR Borja General Hospital (JRBGH) is moving forward and aspires to be the center for excellence in the delivery of quality health care in Cagayan de Oro and Northern Mindanao.
JRBGH chief of hospital Dr. Ramon Nery said they are gearing up to be a level II hospital and become JR Borja Medical Center.
"We would like government hospitals, such as JRBGH, to be even better than private hospitals," Nery said.
Nery said the implementation of the Universal Health Care is a window of opportunity to realize this goal.
In September, the JRBGH will launch its Malasakit Center with a P5 million worth of budget every month.
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is also set to provide P50,000 per day funds for the patients to use.
"We have to pool our resources and come up a system to utilize these funds efficiently. We came up with a formula and we will show the national government that we have the right formula for the Universal Health Care," he said.
The road to being a medical center is near, with its intensive care unit already operational for two months now and other high-end infrastructure.
"All of our services are free, this is the only hospital that provides free for all services from the indigents, working-class, and even our private rooms are all free," Nery said.
Cagayan de Oro is one of the 33 pilot cities for the implementation of the Universal Health Care.
The Department of Health said the areas were chosen based on the likelihood of success and the willingness among the local executives to participate in the concept of the Universal Health Care.