Davide to Winston: Visit hospitals first before judging

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III advised lawyer Winston Garcia to visit provincial government-run hospitals in Cebu and check what the present administration has introduced to improve and upgrade the facilities.

He made the statement in response to Garcia’s claim that the hospitals in the province are not providing basic needs of the patients such as free healthcare services for underprivileged.

Garcia has vowed to provide the hospitals with modern equipment and full medical supplies once he becomes governor of Cebu.

“I hope Mr. Garcia will also visit these hospitals aron ma-compare niya ang improvement karon kompara sa panahon sa iyang igsuon (for him to compare the improvements during my time to that of his sister’s administration),” Davide said, referring to former governor, now third district Representative Gwendolyn Garcia.

He mentioned the 10 district hospitals which were given first level status upgrade under his term. Level one status enables the hospitals to perform surgical operations.

However, seven of the 10 province-run hospitals with the Level 1 classification were downgraded for failing to pass the required 50-bed capacity due to the small space and the incapacity to provide surgical procedures.

In his State of the Province Address or the “Report to the People,” Davide said the province will put up digital x-rays and digital ultrasounds at provincial hospitals in Carcar City, Balamban, Danao City and Bogo City.

The Capitol will also set up dialysis machines at the Cebu Provincial Hospital of Carcar this year.

Davide said that indigent people are being taken care of. In fact, he said, the less-privileged who are confined in government hospitals are automatically enrolled under the Point-of-Care program of PhilHealth and immediately receive benefits from the program.

He said Capitol has also inked an agreement with the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for the province’s Medicine Consignment System, a scheme which provides an agency-to-agency procurement of drugs and medical supplies to ensure their availability in all hospitals operated by the provincial government.

“I hope Mr. Garcia is aware that we are trying to upgrade our district hospitals to equip them with modern equipment… We are doing these kay priority nato ang health care services,” he said.

Davide is seeking reelection while Garcia has signified his bid to run for governor next year. — Michael Vencynth H. Braga/ATO

(FREEMAN)