SM Foundation begins rehabilitation of Tacloban hospital, 10 health centers

MANILA, Philippines - A memorandum of agreement (MOA) has been signed between SM Foundation Inc. and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) for the rehabilitation of Typhoon Yolanda-devastated Tacloban City Hospital, in support of public-private efforts to rehabilitate Tacloban.

OPARR chief Panfilo Lacson, Health Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez signed for the government, while Teresita Sy-Coson, BDO chair and SMIC vice chair, and Connie Angeles, executive director for health and medical programs of the foundation, signed for the foundation.

Even before last Tuesday’s signing, SM Foundation started the rehabilitation of the hospital last March 21 with the needed out-patient department (OPD).

The expansion and relocation of the hospital’s emergency room will immediately follow to accommodate more patients needing emergency assistance.

A wellness center in the OPD, that will be called the Felicidad Sy Wellness Center for Children and Elderly, will also be set up.

A malnutrition ward will also be constructed apart from the provision of basic hospital equipment, in support of the Department of Health’s call to address the targets of the Millennium Development Goals.

Target date for the completion of the entire Tacloban City Hospital is June 2014.

The hospital services 138 barangays with an average daily consultation, prior to Yolanda, of about 100 patients.

The foundation selected the hospital for the immediate reconstruction because it was extensively damaged by Yolanda, depriving the people of necessary health care. The area where the hospital is located is not included in the “No-build zone” in Tacloban.

At the same time, 10 rural health units in various provinces in the Visayas and in Mindanao will also be rehabilitated and repaired by SM Foundation in partnership with BDO Foundation.

These rural health units are the Tolosa Rural Health Unit, Leyte; Western Samar Rural Health Unit, Basey; Ajuy Rural Health Unit, Iloilo; Northern Cebu Rural Health Unit, Bogo City, Cebu; Capiz Rural Health Unit; Aklan Rural Health Unit; Antique Rural Health Unit; Zamboanga Rural Health Unit; Butuan Rural Health Unit, Agusan del Norte; and La Trinidad Health Unit, Benguet.

The project will also be complemented by medical missions in the Yolanda-stricken areas in Leyte, Iloilo and Cebu, apart from the SM Foundation Mobile Clinic that will be sent to these areas to provide free medical check-ups and consultations, medicine, laboratory procedures like chest X-ray, ECG, urinalysis as well as dental services.