Update on the Calbayog City Hospital

Hi there! It’s another week. So what do we have? Well, there they go again. The Senate, or Bong and (was it) Ralph were mulling about Senate investigation on the PAL row and the MRT fare hike. I’m tempted to say what else is new. Anyway, I still need to check what legislation they are into with these investigation (if ever matuloy). And while we are at it, why don’t they investigate the bombing in Zamboanga, Alvin Padilla and his gang, and do we include CATS too? I mean, why are the tickets of that musicale priced as such? (Oops, don’t take this line seriously, just wanna make you smile this week).

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I have decided to devote today’s column on one of the undertakings of the City Government of Calbayog, the establishment of the Calbayog City Hospital. I was able to get hold of the report given to Mayor Reynaldo Uy when he met with the representative of the Department of Health (DOH) RO-8 last July 20.

Present during the said meeting was the DOH team headed by DOH RO-8 Assistant Regional Director Dr. Minerva Molon. The team members were Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino, Dr. Perla Ernacio, Mrs. Nellosa Guarda and Engr. Jasper De Veyra. Also present were Dr. Sylvia De Guzman, Engr. Gil Lentejas, Mrs. Geronides Mancol, Mr. Jessie Montealto and Atty. Oscar Hugo, all members of the Ad Hoc Committee which was formed for the Calbayog City Hospital.
Dr. Molon updated Mayor Uy and the Ad Hoc Committee members on the evaluation on the application for Certificate of Need (CON) of the Calbayog City Hospital.

The criteria taken into consideration were the following: Bed to Population ratio. Travel Time. Accessibility. Strategic Location. Integration in the local hospital development plan.

Here are some initial findings as per report submitted to the City Mayor and the Ad Hoc Committee:

Criteria 1. Bed to Population ratio.
For its primary catchment area, the hospital being a level 3 application will have the (Samar) province as coverage area hence it will have a catchment population of approximately 1,438,000. As of the moment 340 hospital beds are available in the primary catchment area. The number of hospital beds are distributed as follows: Samar Provincial Hospital (100 beds), Calbayog District Hospital (75 beds), Gandara (10 beds), Bassey (25 beds), Tarangnan (10 beds), St. Camillus Hospital (25 beds), Calbayog Sanitarium Hospital (15 beds) and OLPHI (80 beds)

On the other hand, 350 beds are available in the secondary catchment area (and this would be the Northern Samar area). The hospitals in the area are Allen Hospital (50 beds), Biri (25 beds), Capul (25 beds), GB Tan (50 beds), NSPH (100 beds), Gamay (25 beds), San Antonio (25 beds), San Vicente (10 beds), Catubig (25 beds), Leoncio Uy Private Hospital (15 beds).

Total inventory of hospital beds is at 735, to include the approved PTC for 50-bed Samar Doctors.
The ideal bed-to-population ratio is = 0.511, which means that the province still needs 703 beds more. Calbayog's application for 25 beds passed the first criteria; and that applying for 50 beds would still be okey.

Criteria 2. Travel Time. At least one hour away from the nearest hospital. This was not met, with OLPHI, a level-3 hospital and St. Camillus Hospital.

Criteria 3. Accessibility. This was okeyed by the group.

Criteria 4. Strategic Location. The group visited the proposed site after the meeting at Marju-Krisel and a recommendation is forthcoming.

Criteria 5. Integration in the local hospital development plan. As of the July 20 meeting, only the City annual Investment Plan was received by DOH RO-8.

The following recommendations were presented by the DOH group and duly noted by the Ad Hoc Committee:

• The CON is approved, however there is a need to look into the clustering of the private hospitals in the proposed site.
• The possibility of the proposed hospital becoming a dumping ground of "indigent cases" which might be rejected by the private hospitals.
• The need for the hospital plan to be integrated in the City Development Plan for sustainability.
• Present budget is only for the construction of the hospital physical structure. Still needed to be looked into are manpower, equipment and service capability needs which cost bigger budget.

The group's report also included the "Case Mix of patients” admitted in the hospital in Cabayog City:

• Pneumonia
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease
• PTB
• AGE
• UTI
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Peptic Ulcer Diseases
• PUFT
• Bronchial Ashma

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Obit. Tomorrow we commemorate The Most Reverend Pablo Singzon, the first Bishop of Calbayog. It has been 90 years since he received the gift of eternal life.

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Sarah Geronimo Live in Calbayog! This concert for a cause will be held on September 7, 2010 at the Calbayog City Sports Center.

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This is it for now. Have a nice week everyone! Ciao!