DOH to develop Normin hospitals, health system

by: Jorie Valcorza of PIA

The Department of Health Center for Halth Development in Northern Mindanao announced it would develop the capabilities of hospitals and health centers in the region, including the health system, in a bid to improve health services to the public.

Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH-CHD regional director, said first on the line is the development of the Northern Mindanao medical Center (NMMC) in the city into a highly developed specialized referral center.

He said they are about to open the special catheterization laboratory at the NMMC, a prerequisite before the hospital becomes the region’s kidney and heart center.

It will be started soon coupled with the download of assistance to the J.R. Borja Memorial City Hospital of Cagayan de Oro along with the rest of the city health cneters in the region, Bernadas added.

He said he will meed with the city’s chief executives to define their intention on the P62-million assistance from the Department of Health.

At the same time, Bernadas announced their office continues to strengthen the District Health System (DHS).

The DHS is a group of municipalities of strategic and geographical location that will promote cooperation among themselves in coordination with the DOH, he explained.

At present DOH is honing the Cagayan de Oro Urban Health System, which envisions the city having a clear tasking and clear referral mechanism between health care providers – both private and public, he further said.

Dr. Bernadas expressed the importance of convening the health media advocates in the city to a regular quarterly forum to be adept with the DOH-10 projects and activities and relay well the information to the public.