Two Negros governors meet, agree to solve hospital woes

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — In a stark contrast from their clashing stand on the proposed One-Island Region, the two Negros governors met early this week and agreed on solving together the lack of doctors of a hospital in a village bordering Mabinay, Negros Oriental and Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental.

Governors Alfredo Marañon Jr. of Negros Occidental and Roel Degamo of Negros Oriental attended the 18th anniversary celebration of the Inapoy Community Primary Hospital, which has been reeling from lack of medical practitioners for so long.

Marañon lamented that no one has responded to the call of his administration for doctors to work at ICPH. "I know that one of your biggest problems (in ICPH) is the lack of doctors, ...nobody volunteered or accepted the assignment,” he said, as he appealed for help from Degamo on this problem. Marañon then asked for Degamo’s support in requesting the Department of Health for completion of other projects for the ICPH.

Degamo in turn told Marañon the DOH had already allocated P3 million to complete the construction of an additional building for ICPH, which is expected to start within the year.

Under the agreement between Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental on the ICPH operations, the former will provide for the bulk of personnel complement and operating expense, while the latter answers for building and fixtures, including the lot, and the social preparations.

The ICPH is now serving residents of 12 hinterland barangays, which have difficulty accessing health care services before. It was established on March 9, 1997 by then Occidental Gov. Rafael Coscolluela and the late Oriental Gov. Emilio Macias II, in a first collaboration between the two provinces since talks on the idea of a One-Island Region began in May 1994.

Marañon and Degamo have opposing stands on the plan to merge the two Negros provinces into one region, with Marañon pushing for its realization and Degamo objecting to it. — Marchel P. Espina (FREEMAN)