ANGELES CITY -- This city's Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan is optimistic that the operations of the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (formerly known as Ospital Ning Angeles) will become more sustainable as it opened a P50-million annex building here on Monday.
Pamintuan said that the new facility will cater to patients who can afford private rooms and those with Philhealth coverage. The new facility is equipped with 28 private rooms, one isolation room and also houses the chemotherapy infusion section, ophthalmology section, and cardiology section, among others. The building has some seven outpatient clinic offices.
The new building was formally opened Monday with Pamintuan and Vice Mayor Vicky Vega Cabigting leading the ribbon cutting ceremonies, along with city councilors and the whole hospital administration.
"This is in response to the growing need to serve the medical needs of our constituents. In fact right now our public hospital does not only serve patients coming from the city but also as far as Porac, Mabalacat, City of San Fernando, Mexico and even Magalang," Pamintuan said.
In 2012 alone, Dr. Antonio Dizon, hospital director of the RLMMC, said the hospital has admitted 26,840 patients, seen 72,600 patients in the Out-Patient Department, conducted 1,870 ambulance rescue operations, administered 2,640 surgeries, completed 275,000 laboratory examinations and 29,700 x-ray procedures and provided for 1,760 dental procedures and services from July 2011 to April 2012.
Pamintuan said that income from the new annex building will be used to fund the services of the public hospital and boost its operations. He added that improving the services of the hospital and expanding its health programs will greatly improve the quality of life of Angeleños.
The mayor also urged the hospital staff and its administration to strive more in providing quality services for indigents while it commended the personnel for the strides that had been taken in improving the hospital.
Pamintuan, upon ushering the new Contract with the Angeleños (CWA), has included in his platform of governance the establishment of a Coronary Care Center, Chemotherapy Unit, and a Trauma Center in RLMMC.
Pamintuan's Angeles City Renal Care Unit (ACRCU) housed at the RLMMC was able to serve 185,072 patients and still counting. Pamintuan said that a sustainable public hospital will save the city in funds that could be used to finance other social service programs. (With Rey G. Navales)