Lack of medicine plagues new hospital in Quezon
Lack of medicine plagues new hospital in Quezon
By Delfin Mallari Jr.Inquirer
Last updated 05:01am (Mla time) 07/24/2006
Published on Page A23 of the July 24, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
LUCENA CITY—A newly inaugurated multimillion-peso government-owned hospital here is plagued with lack of medicines, something that the provincial hospital that it replaced had been giving to indigent patients.
The Quezon Medical Center rose from the site of the Quezon Memorial Hospital, which had for decades been serving the poor from different parts of the province.
Inaugurated on July 17, the project includes five buildings inside the vast hospital compound on the city outskirts.
Two more buildings are being built on both sides of the new edifice.
The project was estimated to cost P700 million in 2002. It would need a billion pesos more to be completed.
Ironically, as the inauguration of the modern hospital was taking place, a group of nursing students in the pediatric department was soliciting help from donors to buy medicines for poor patients.
Dr. Mario Cuento, assistant chief of the Quezon provincial health office, admitted the lack of medicines. “This is a government hospital. We only operate based on the budget allotted to us,” he told the Inquirer.
Budget
He said their office had a budget of only P110 million a year.
“Ideally, we should have at least four times the present budget,” Cuento said.
Dr. Asuncion Anden, director of the Department of Health in the National Capital Region who was the guest speaker during the inauguration, challenged government officials to improve the health conditions of the people, particularly the poor.
“These facilities will not mean anything unless we have quality service, unless we improve our professionalism, unless we truly have a touch of charity and love for every individual who come into this building,” she said in her speech.
Provincial board members were cynical.
“Despite the grandeur of the building, this is a government hospital which should still provide free medicines, especially for the indigent patients,” Board Member Eladio Pasamba said.
Pasamba said he had been supporting the hospitalization of 10 to 20 patients at the QMC at any given time.
“But I can’t remember any of my patients being able to receive free medicines from the hospital. I was the one buying all the medicines,” he said.
Depressing
Board Member Noli Tan, president of the barangay chairs’ association in Quezon, echoed the same problem.
“That’s the report that I have been receiving from my fellow barangay officials. It’s really depressing,” Tan said.
Board Member Rommel Edaño said the lack of medicines at the QMC had already resulted in the death of a number of poor patients.
He said the modernization and upgrading of that QMC must include other government hospitals in different parts of the province.
He noted that up to 80 percent of QMC patients came from Lucena and peripheral towns.
“How about those indigent patients from far-flung areas?” he asked.
Daisy Borja, officer in charge of the QMC-Medical Social Service, said free medicines could only be given depending on available stocks at the hospital pharmacy.
However, she said, the patients should show documents to support their claims of indigent status.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=11381
By Delfin Mallari Jr.Inquirer
Last updated 05:01am (Mla time) 07/24/2006
Published on Page A23 of the July 24, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
LUCENA CITY—A newly inaugurated multimillion-peso government-owned hospital here is plagued with lack of medicines, something that the provincial hospital that it replaced had been giving to indigent patients.
The Quezon Medical Center rose from the site of the Quezon Memorial Hospital, which had for decades been serving the poor from different parts of the province.
Inaugurated on July 17, the project includes five buildings inside the vast hospital compound on the city outskirts.
Two more buildings are being built on both sides of the new edifice.
The project was estimated to cost P700 million in 2002. It would need a billion pesos more to be completed.
Ironically, as the inauguration of the modern hospital was taking place, a group of nursing students in the pediatric department was soliciting help from donors to buy medicines for poor patients.
Dr. Mario Cuento, assistant chief of the Quezon provincial health office, admitted the lack of medicines. “This is a government hospital. We only operate based on the budget allotted to us,” he told the Inquirer.
Budget
He said their office had a budget of only P110 million a year.
“Ideally, we should have at least four times the present budget,” Cuento said.
Dr. Asuncion Anden, director of the Department of Health in the National Capital Region who was the guest speaker during the inauguration, challenged government officials to improve the health conditions of the people, particularly the poor.
“These facilities will not mean anything unless we have quality service, unless we improve our professionalism, unless we truly have a touch of charity and love for every individual who come into this building,” she said in her speech.
Provincial board members were cynical.
“Despite the grandeur of the building, this is a government hospital which should still provide free medicines, especially for the indigent patients,” Board Member Eladio Pasamba said.
Pasamba said he had been supporting the hospitalization of 10 to 20 patients at the QMC at any given time.
“But I can’t remember any of my patients being able to receive free medicines from the hospital. I was the one buying all the medicines,” he said.
Depressing
Board Member Noli Tan, president of the barangay chairs’ association in Quezon, echoed the same problem.
“That’s the report that I have been receiving from my fellow barangay officials. It’s really depressing,” Tan said.
Board Member Rommel Edaño said the lack of medicines at the QMC had already resulted in the death of a number of poor patients.
He said the modernization and upgrading of that QMC must include other government hospitals in different parts of the province.
He noted that up to 80 percent of QMC patients came from Lucena and peripheral towns.
“How about those indigent patients from far-flung areas?” he asked.
Daisy Borja, officer in charge of the QMC-Medical Social Service, said free medicines could only be given depending on available stocks at the hospital pharmacy.
However, she said, the patients should show documents to support their claims of indigent status.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=11381
kakalungkot isipin na yung mga ibang health center sa pilipinas ay may mga expired ng gamot..
Posted by
Anonymous |
9:37 AM
tungak kasi mga rhu nurses eh..
Posted by
Anonymous |
6:36 PM