‘City Cooperative hospital’

WE are on the last day of a three-day training we are conducting for personnel of the Department of health, Center for Health Development of Northern Mindanao. This is the 3rd batch of similar trainings the Valleser Communications Consultancy is doing for that agency.

It is unavoidable, therefore, that during breaks between lectures and workshops we indulge in some idle talks. At one point, I opened the topic on the possibility of having our beleaguered city hospital to be “cooperative-ized.” This after news that majority of doctors  un the said hospital have left and gone to other hospitals, set up private practice or have immigrated to other countries.

The lack of physicians has forced the city hospital to stop taking care of outpatients on weekends. Trying to put reason to this insane situation, the city officials through the hospital administration, is practically telling city residents not to get sick on weekends or else thsy could not be served – as if we have control as to when to get sick.

Well, it is normal for doctors to move around and seek greener pasture. The critical lack of physicians at the city hospital, however, is a phenomenon unique to itself. What keeps doctors away from the city hospital is not the low pay; neither is it the very demanding character of being in a public health system.

Ask those who have been there and they will tell you the real reason. They are tired and nauseated by the way dirty politics has seeped into what should have been an apolitical system. Doctors are forced to play politics by trying to reason out to patients why their services degenerated so much.

Even if doctors are gods and can cure even with just cotton and Q-tips, this would not be possible at city hospital. One of the doctors who have left the hospital told “Table talk” that he left because he wanted to keep the dignity of the medical profession.

having a cooperative hospital is not a novel idea. Other smaller and bigger cities in the country have done it. Our city officials should not be ashamed to accept their inability to run and manage a hospital. it’s time they should seriously think of turning it over to a cooperative.

It’s gutter politics that’s flushing our city hospital down the gutters!