Unfinished JOB

House Bill 239 that is co-authored by our two congressmen, Rolando Uy and Rufus Rodriguez was passed recently at the Lower House. It is “an Act to providing for the upgrade and modernization of the J.R. Borja City Memorial Hospital as an extension hospital of the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City, province of Misamis Oriental and appropriating funds therefore.”

So, what the big fuss? Let’s go back to the past.

Sometime in 1963 or earlier, sisters Carmen Roa Villarin and Consuelo Roa Almarion donated a three-hectare property for the establishment of a city hospital which was later named after the late Mayor Justiniano R. Borja as a tribute for his honesty and greatness.

Through the years, the growing population of the city demanded bigger hospital and more modern medical facilities. Thus, during the mayorship of Pablo Magtajas, an ambitious project got a P10-million assistance from Sen. Nene Pimentel’s fund. The project, however, never saw completion when it was overtaken by the election of Dongkoy Emano as city mayor.

During Emano’s term, nothing was allegedly done by city hall to finish the new hospita started by Magtajas for political reasons. Sen. Pimentel offer of P11 million and equipment was allegedly rejected by Emano. This is not entirely true based on my interviewwith some people there.

The unfinished hospital was awarded to a certain contractor and was sub-contracted to several smaller ones. Too many cooks spoiled the broth.

Emano didn’t like the way the project was implemented, thus he wanted no part in it. Emano had a point there.

However, he should not criticize our congressmen for House Bill 239. It does not breach protocol, should be supported and the bill should be viewed in its entirety.

Section 3 of the bill provides that “the Secretary of Health shall immediately include in the Department’s programs the operation of the J.R. Borja City Memorial hospital as an extension hospital of the Northern Mindanao Medical Center, the funding of which shall be included in the annual General Appropriation Act.”

With this bill, our city hospital would be getting more funds that it used to. Is that bad?

In the mid-90’s, my cousin was hospitalized there. When I visited him, I saw the sad state of the hospital. The rooms looked old and dilapidated. Medical supplies were scarce and some basic needs were unavailable so that the attending medical staff had to buy them from their own pocket.

I saw the need to visit the place again before I wrote this. They showed me around the nfinished hospital which is really very, very “anogon”. What a big waste of money if allowed to remain unfinished. If city hall can’t finish it, perhaps our two congressmen would like to go further by finding money to finish the job.

The old hospital has not changed much the way it looked then. In fact, the rooms which have been turned into different types of wards are mostly overcrowded. Some of the patients have to make do with the space at the alleys.

Supplies are now adequate with around P80 million provided by city hall. But a lot of things need to be done and future problems need to be avoided.

To our city officials, forget politics for a while and help finish the unfinished hospital. Nothing is more important than the service it can provide to the people.

That three-hectare property has been co-occupied by other agencies. If it has not violated any condition under the Deed of Donation, the attempt to title it under another agency should not be allowed to happen.

Ben Contreras / The Mindanao Gold Star Daily