New PGH director: No need to defend appointment

MANILA, Philippines - Newly installed Philippine General Hospital (PGH) Director Dr. Rolando Enrique Domingo yesterday said he does not need to defend his appointment as hospital director. 

“I don’t need to defend myself. I have an appointment from the Board of Regents (BOR) and the UP Chancellor. There is only one PGH director,” Domingo told The STAR in an interview at the PGH.

Domingo still holds office at the training room of the hospital’s Human Resource Department located at the second floor of the main building. Ousted director Dr. Jose Gonzales still has not vacated the Director’s Office at the ground floor of the same building.

Domingo said the office space situation is a “very, very minor inconvenience.”

“He (Gonzales) cannot accept that he is not the PGH director. I was declared the PGH director and I took an oath of office. He (Gonzales) was already written a letter that he was ousted,” he said.

Gonzales admitted the other day that all documents for signing were forwarded to Domingo’s office and not to his. 

He said the directorship row did not affect the hospital’s clinical operations. 

Domingo, son of former Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo, said he doubts Gonzales’ claims that his appointment was politically motivated. Domingo said he would give Gonzales a few days to “pack up.”

“I understand that this takes time. But I am hoping that I would be able to transfer to the other office (Director’s Office),” he said.

He said one of his top priorities right now is to settle the hospital’s electric bill with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) within the year.

“This (Meralco bill) needs restructuring of payments,” Domingo said. The hospital has arrears of over P120 million to Meralco since 2008.

He said the hospital needs medical equipment, and several facilities like toilets and air-conditioning units also have to be repaired. 

Domingo said he will also attempt to raise the hospital’s income by soliciting donations and offering the hospital’s services to insurance companies.  

Last Feb. 25, the University of the Philippines Board of Regents (UP-BOR) nullified the Dec. 18, 2009 election results declaring Gonzales as the new PGH director. Student Regent Charisse Bañez, who cast the decisive vote for Gonzales, was declared ineligible to vote for failing to enroll for the second semester of academic year 2009-2010. As a non-student, she could not represent the student body in the BOR. 

In an election held the same day, fellow nominee Domingo was elected the new director and was sworn into office the next day.

Around 200 faculty members and students supporting Gonzales’ appointment held a protest rally in the PGH compound the other day.