“They (local government) must comply with all DOH requirements,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque during a news conference on Friday.

He said this when he was told by a radio reporter that the [...]]]> CITY hall has to comply with the requirements of the health department if the J. R. Borja Memorial Hospital is to remain a hospital.

“They (local government) must comply with all DOH requirements,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque during a news conference on Friday.

He said this when he was told by a radio reporter that the city hall-run hospital was in sorry state.

Caught by surprise, Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH director for northern Mindanao, quickly said city hall has already released millions of pesos to improve the local government-owned hospital.

Earlier, city hall shifted its focus on the JR Borja hospital after Reps. Rufus Rodriguez and Rolando Uy filed a bill that seeks to transfer the hospital’s management from the city government to the Department of Health through the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC). Mayor Constantino Jaraula strongly oppposed the bill.

Duque had this to say about Jaraula’s position: “We respect the position of the local chief executive because (the city hospital) is under the local government’s autonomy.”

Concerns about the city hospital’s state and the resignation of its doctors prompted city hall to announce that some P91 million has been set aside for the medical institution this year. City hall also announced an additional budget P5 million for more medicines. Mark Francisco

Jaraula said this at Bombo Radyo over the weekend in reaction to the bill of Rep. Rufus Rodriguez seeking to make the city hospital an annex [...]]]> CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Constantino Jaraula said that the national government can always give financial assistance to JR Borja Memorial City Hospital even if it doesn’t acquire its ownership.

Jaraula said this at Bombo Radyo over the weekend in reaction to the bill of Rep. Rufus Rodriguez seeking to make the city hospital an annex of the national government-owned Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC).

Both hospitals are located in Cagayan de Oro City; the city hospital in Carmen, the NMMC along Corrales avenue.

Jaraula added that he is not opposed to the city hospital becoming an annex to NMMC provided that there will be no change in ownership.

“If it’s only for operational purpose, then yes, I will not oppose for the city hospital to become an annex of NMMC. But if there is a change of ownership, no,” the mayor bluntly said over the radio.

In justifying his stance, Jaraula said that the efforts of Cagayan de Oro in keeping ownership of the hospital since 40 years ago when it was established would all go in vain once it transfers ownership to the national government.

House Bill 239 provides “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 and appropriating funds therefore.”

Once passed into law, the city hospital would be placed under the direct supervision of the Department of Health (Doh) and thus automatically qualify for yearly funding from the national government’s General Appropriations Act.

JR Borja Memorial City Hospital was named after former Mayor Justiniano R. Borja who also has a street and a statue named after him. By MARK D. FRANCISCO Gold Star Daily News Mindanao

The unfinished three-storey hospital building for over a decade now. Photo by Jessica

Pro-administration Councilor Dante Pajo said [...]]]> A CITY official Monday brushed aside allegations that “politics” was behind the troubles besetting JR Borja General Hospital, even as he denied claims that City Hall has blocked donations made by political rivals to the city-run medical facility.

The unfinished three-storey hospital building for over a decade now. Photo by Jessica

Pro-administration Councilor Dante Pajo said City Hall was eager to receive the 10 dialysis machines earlier pledged by 1st district Rep. Rolando Uy, who belongs to the local political opposition. Councilor Pajo said the donation includes a building that will house the equipment.

“I’ve talked to the Mayor [Constantino Jaraula] and he said he’s okay with the donation,” said Pajo, chairman of the health committee.

Last year, Rep. Uy’s office lamented that City Hall had spurned a similar effort by the lawmaker, who chose to donate the hospital equipment instead to the nationally-run Northern Mindanao Medical Center. The donation was funded from the congressman’s pork barrel.

The city-run hospital is no stranger to being deprived with much-needed diagnostic apparatus and other life-saving equipment simply because these are offered by politicians who don’t play footsies with the incumbents.

Dr. Vincent Tiro, a retired chief of hospital at JR Borja, said the practice became common during the Emano administration.

The physician recalled that at one point during the first term of then Mayor Vicente Emano — now a vice mayor — the latter castigated him for receiving the P2 million worth of medicines from Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, a native of Cagayan de Oro. Starting out as allies, Sen. Pimentel has been Emano’s political nemesis for years now.

“I received it with all gratefulness as then the chief of the hospital as it would mean more service for the sick and needy. I never thought I would be chided for doing what is right,” Dr. Tiro said.

“Politics is very well entrenched at the hospital, from the appointment and removal of personnel, up to the distribution of medicines to barangays,” he said.

Not once did Emano castigate him for handing out medicines to barangay officials deemed outcast to the former mayor’s political circle.

“He [Emano] once told me to ‘Ikaw na lang mag-mayor’ when I reasoned with him on the equitable distribution of medicines,” Tiro said.

During his watch, Tiro said Pimentel also donated a CT scan, which he said was “very much needed” in any hospital to help diagnose various medical conditions. Poor patients, he added, need not go to private hospitals and spend P3,000 for a CT scan.

Tiro said the equipment went to the NMCC instead because Emano would not want it in the city-run hospital.

Weeks later, Tiro said he was fired as chief of the hospital and detailed to another department until he retired in early 2000.

The former JR Borja chief said the P10 million hospital building donated by Pimentel in late 90s suffered the same fate, as the Emano administration had refused to shell out money as counterpart. The building, he said, was left to deteriorate for over a decade now.

However, Pajo said the three-storey building may finally be completed within this year. The after Department of Health (DOH), he said, has offered to finish the project.

“DOH-10 (Northern Mindanao) has already started the bidding phase of the project last June 8. Of the six bidders who signified interest in undertaking the project, five bidders qualified,” the councilor said.

Another view ot the unfinished three-storey hospital building.

The city-run hospital has lately been rocked with controversies, heightened by resignations of several doctors late last month. The physicians–numbering 18 out of the hospital’s 35 doctors–complained of low pay and poor working conditions.

They also lamented the hospital’s inability to give adequate health services to poor patients because the facility lacks even the basic medical equipment.

The hospital management had earlier suspended its weekend consultations.

Pajo said the Saturday and Sunday consultations have been resumed since last week. He said City Hall is already hiring doctors to replace those who resigned. He also denied the resignations had crippling effect on the hospital’s services, describing the doctors’ exodus as a “minor setback.” By Cong B. Corrales Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro

This was the statement issued by opposition leaders Gusa Barangay chairperson Enrico Salcedo, Atty. Manuel Ravanera and [...]]]> Losing ownership and management over the J.R. Borja Memorial City Hospital as proposed under House Bill 239 would mean PaDayon Pilipino administration officers will lose one of their largest sources of “kickbacks” from overpriced hospital supplies, medicines and equipments.

This was the statement issued by opposition leaders Gusa Barangay chairperson Enrico Salcedo, Atty. Manuel Ravanera and Atty. Rogelio Bagabuyo in response to moves from PaDayon Pilipino public officers to hold on to the city hospital’s ownership and management.

Salcedo voiced suspicions that the local administration officers’ opposition to the transfer of ownership of the city hospital might have something to do with reports that the city hospital has already been mortgaged by PaDayon Pilipino titular head Vicente Emano when the latter was still mayor of the city.

“Kay kung dunay transfer of ownership, mahadlok sila nga mangawas ang mga documento nga basin gi-mortgage na kanang atong city hospital (For if there will be transfer of ownership, administration officers are afraid that there might surface documents showing that perhaps our city hospital has already been mortgaged),” he said.

He pointed out that Emano and PaDayon Pilipino city councilors even mortgaged the land property where the Gusa Eastbound Public Utility Jeepney Terminal sits which is covered by a conditional donation.

Ravanera said PaDayon Pilipino public officers do not want to relinquish the full management of the city hospital to the Department of Health (DOH) because it is one of the largest sources of “kickbacks” in the form of overpriced hospital supplies from powder soap to bond papers and medicines.

He pointed out to two containers filled with vouchers, invoices, logbook photocopies and delivery receipts that were kept by city hospital officers themselves who could no longer stand the graft practices of the PaDayon Pilipino public officers.

Such documents are now attached as part of the evidences for the filing of 32 counts of graft charges involving P18 million against former city hospital head Dr. Jerie Calingasan, Emano, division heads and the involved suppliers at the Office of the Ombudsman with city hospital staff standing in as complainants.

Among the numerous invoices were those for the purchase of eight kilos of Zoom Detergent Powder costing P11,500.00 or at P1,437.00 per kilo and another for the purchase of a Food Conveyor with 36 trays for P119,500.00.

“What kind of a detergent powder is this that costs P1,437.00 per kilo? And a food conveyor used to deliver food around the hospital at almost P120,00? Why not just buy a small elf truck?,” the lawyer said.

Ravanera said it is clear that once the management of the city hospital will be transferred to DOH, the PaDayon Pilipino administration officers would no longer be able to continue such practices.

Salcedo said the local administration PaDayon Pilipino does not want to give up the management of the city hospital because they want to use its medicines, supplies and even its doctors and nurses for their politics in next years 2010 Elections.

He said having control over how the city hospital is managed means also the power to snub any requests from the local opposition when they need volunteer doctors and medical staff for their own medical missions.

He cited the situation when PaDayon Pilipino party leader and City Mayor Constantino Jaraula issued an order prohibiting volunteer doctors from attending a medical mission sponsored by First District Cong. Rolando Uy.

Bagabuyo for his part pointed out several how the Commission on Audit (COA) has found numerous anomalies in the management of the city hospital based on its Annual Audit Reports (AARs).

In the 2007 COA-AAR, he pointed out two instances wherein COA found the City Government violating the law – the P15 million in medicines that were distributed without complete inventory documents and the receipt mess involving P4 million.

He also cited how in 2006, COA also found out over P26 million in medical, dental and other supplies were found by COA to have been erroneously accounted for by the Emano administration.

“Of course these are deliberate errors. The City Hospital needs new management which is why there is the need to support HB 239,” he said adding how COA should have immediately moved for the filing of charges against those responsible for these anomalies.

HB 239 provides for the “upgrade and modernization of the J.R. Borja City Memorial Hospital as an extension hospital of the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) in Cagayan de Oro and appropriating funds therefore.”

The bill would mean an allocation of around P127 million for the dilapidated 100-bed hospital which was assessed by the Department of Health as a mere secondary hospital as of August last year.

HB 239 is being pushed by First District Cong. Rolando Uy and Second District Cong. Rufus Rodriguez which has been approved during the 14th Congress and now pending for third and final hearing at the Senate.

But Cagayan de Oro city mayor Constantino Jaraula has certified urgent a proposed resolution vehemently opposing HB 239 for three reasons — lack of consultation, confiscatory and unconstitutional and that NMMC extension supervision to JR Borja Hospital will divest funds and deprive the city of ownership of the hospital.

Around 50 supporters of HB 239 from barangays Carmen, Patag, Gusa, Kauswagan, Lapasan and other areas in the city flocked to the City Council session hall yesterday to witness whether administration city councilors will oppose the abovementioned bill.

The PaDayon Pilipino city councilors softened their stand saying they support HB 239 but that they vehemently oppose converting the city hospital as an annex to NMMC whereby there will be transfer of ownership and management to DOH. (By Lizanilla J. Amarga)