I CALL it ironic to take a new administration to celebrate the opening of the third floor of the new building of the City Hospital. I call it sad and rather late now considering that it is already about over 12 years since the initial funds of P10 million for that JR Borja City Hospital building annex which was allocated principally by Senator Nene Pimentel way back in 1999. During those years, I fumed over the refusal of the past administration to appropriate even for a sack of cement for the improvement of that hospital.
How many times did I visit the toilets after 12 midnight and smell the stink of urine and noticed the lack of even disinfectants and cleansing solutions like sodium hypochlorite to keep them clean? How many times did I hear the cries of people wanting for emergency antibiotics, intravenous solutions and emergency medications during those late night visits?
It was sad that funds allocated for medicines worth P10 million a year and equipment were rejected by the former administration and were in fact instead given to Northern Mindanao Regional Hospital now Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC). How many times did I have to go to that hospital and leave out forms so that medicines from the initiative of Senator Pimentel be availed of? There was a time that we caused the provision of a coordinator, so that those needing emergency medicines may be able to get access to the Pimentel sponsored initiative.
I believe that, had the previous administration been open to further funding from Pimentel at that time, we could have worked out for a funding of at least P10 million per year to complete the construction of a better hospital building.
It may be noteworthy to mention this because the proposal for the P10 M initial funds at the Office of then of Senator Nene Pimentel in Manila to rehabilitate that hospital came at a time when I chaired the committee on health of the city council and when only two city councilors were considered close allies to Pimentel: Myself and now city administrator Roy Raagas.
It will now be the challenge of the new administration to source out and/or allocate additional funds, prioritize the needed program and to maximize the use of such funds for the purpose. Back from the US in 2011, I have visited that hospital after it was reported to have been funded further by the DOH.
It was still in its bad shape although the new building was already used. I submit that there is much work needed to keep that hospital truly responsive to the needs of the community. We know that people need now dialysis machines, CT scan, operating rooms and more diagnostic equipment to save lives. These, and a countless of "to do and purchase list" needs appropriate technical and financial planning.
On the recall Initiative against Moreno
There is a report of a recall initiative against mayor Oscar Moreno which he himself divulged to the media and the culprit is the former mayor Vicente Emano. Then, here comes this troll who commented like this "uli na Bob Ocio, nia ra imo gusto." I know how people will simply try to blow up things in order to put well intentioned people like us on the defensive. This is my reply, "So, ipauli lang ko para mag apil-apil sa recall, nga si Dongkoy ang sponsor? Excuse me? Dili kausaban lang sa lider ang kinahanglan. Ang kinahanglan kausaban sa atong panlantaw, panghunahuna ug pamaagi."
Unsa ba nga kausaban atong gusto? But that is another topic.