By BEVERLY C. PAOYON
ALABEL, Sarangani (April 25, 2014) - Health Secretary Enrique Ona has vouched for the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme that top officials in Sarangani is planning to apply in running the tertiary provincial hospital under construction at the Capitol compound.
In an on-site visit Tuesday (April 22), Ona laid down a scheme to Rep. Manny Pacquiao and Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon on how to modernize the hospital operation where the local government need not always rely on subsidy from the national government.
Ona said partnering with the business sector is an option that could be taken advantage of and be considered.
The 200-bed capacity hospital facility that would cost P250 million to finish is financed primarily by the Department of Health and augmented by the local government funds.
DOH has already downloaded P50 million to build Phase 1 of the facility comprising the emergency room, clinical laboratory and nursing services that are now 95 percent complete. This phase, however, is only 20 percent of the total project cost.
The department also provided additional P20 million in 2011 from Health Facilities Enhancement Program for hospital equipment and another P5 million last year for the construction of a two-storey out-patient department and operating room foundation.
Dr. Arvin Alejandro, officer-in-charge of the provincial health office, said DOH is downloading counterpart funds yearly and has committed to provide another P75 million next year.
The provincial government’s counterpart this year was P5 million for the partial completion of the facility which is also known as Sarangani Medical Center (SMC).
SMC sits in a 3,500-sq. meter area inside the Capitol grounds. It is not only expected to improve health care services in the province especially for its poor constituents but it is also seen as an economic enterprise.
This means hospital services would not be not for free.
However, Governor Solon disclosed that the provincial government would set aside yearly budget for the Philhealth enrollment of the province’s indigents. This, he said, could guarantee payment whenever they may be admitted to the hospital.
Almost 97,000 families in the province or 89.8 percent out of 107,964 families have been enrolled in Philhealth. These figures are based on the 2014 DOH administered 539,822 population per National Statistical Coordination Board 2012 baseline. This costs DOH around P232 million for the Philhealth enrollment.
The provincial government also allocated P7 million for the 11 percent of households not covered by DOH’s fund.
Currently, the provincial government maintains patient referrals in adjacent General Santos City thru a memorandum of agreement with three private hospitals to cater to indigent patients from Sarangani. The provincial government spends an annual average of P20 million.
In 2013, admissions to these hospitals totaled to 2,605 costing the provincial government P23 million.
With SMC, Ona said the facility being constructed should have a “very strong out-patient services” to monitor and detect illnesses earlier to avoid further complications.
Currently, the existing three outlier infirmary hospitals in Kiamba, Glan and Malungon towns are being upgraded into Level 1 primary hospitals amounting to more than P112 million financed by DOH.
The department also transferred substantial amount for the construction, renovation and expansion of the rural health units in the municipalities. (Beverly C. Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)
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