“Health landmark” unveiled in Sarangani

ALABEL, Sarangani (August 1, 2011) – Sarangani’s “health landmark” was officially unveiled Monday (August 1) in what was described as Sarangani’s pro-active response to President Aquino’s health agenda focused on the universal healthcare for the entire country.

Hundreds of guests, many from the barangays, witnessed the laying of the capsule by Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Romulo Busuego, Sarangani lone district Rep. Manny Pacquiao and Governor Migs Dominguez for the Sarangani Medical Center at the Capitol grounds.

The 200-bed tertiary facility will be administered thru a Public-Private Partnership agreement under the Development Bank of the Philippines’ Credit for Better Health Care Program “to ensure excellent facility and quality service,” according to Rep. Pacquiao.

Initially, Sarangani Medical Center will start to operate with 100 beds but all necessary equipment will be available to run the facility.

Gov. Dominguez pointed out “this is the first time that a local government unit will enter into this kind of agreement and I believe this is also the trend the national government is looking at to run existing facilities in the country.”

With the facility, Dominguez said, indigents will receive the kind of treatment the rich enjoy in private hospitals. “This will be a commitment and a challenge that all of us will face.”

It is a primary concern in Sarangani to put “premium on the health condition of the people,” Pacquiao said, because a “healthy community is crucial to a healthy economy.”

“At least,” in Sarangani, “we can put up a level of confidence, a confidence that our people would come here not because it’s the last choice of our people to come but because it is their choice to deserve in Sarangani,” Busuego said.

He challenged Sarangani stakeholders to sustain the project. “I don’t want to see that Sarangani will have a decay of care because of neglect like any other government facilities.”

“I challenge the local government to look into this on how to maintain, operate and make it even improved further to compete what the congressman is trying to dream about a place where people can choose to come,” Busuego said.

With the commitment to meet the challenges of the Millennium Development Goals, among others, the Department of Health (DOH) is trying to review the system to suit with the health agenda of the President.

This year, more than P7 billion has been allocated by the department for the health insurance coverage and for the improvement of local health facilities “where most of the poor consult,” according to Busuego.

Busuego was the chief of Davao Regional Hospital since 1998 before he was designated as the assistant secretary of DOH where he revolutionized the government management system into now an almost private set-up.

Now, the hospital is being made into a cancer institute which is the only one in Mindanao to have a linear accelerator and the only government-owned facility in the region with that equipment.

“With the facility available now in the region, we can serve those people who die or dies because they do not have other place to go or they cannot afford Davao Doctors Hospital or perhaps other private institutions.” (Beverly C. Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)