Update on the Calbayog City Hospital

Mayor Reynaldo Uy as he greeted the DOH RO-8 group which was headed by Dr. Minerva Molon.

Mayor Reynaldo Uy met with the representative of the Department of Health (DOH) RO-8 today. The meeting was held at the Marju-Krisel Function Hall immediately after the CPOC emergency meeting.

The DOH team was headed by DOH RO-8 Assistant Regional Director Dr. Minerva Molon. With her were Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino, Dr. Perla Ernacio, Mrs. Nellosa Guarda and Engr. Jasper De Veyra. Also present were the members of the Ad Hoc Committee which was formed for the Calbayog City Hospital.

Dr. Molon updated Mayor Uy and the Ad Hoc Committee members on the evaluation on the application for Certificate of Need (CON) of the Calbayog City Hospital.

Five criteria were taken into consideration.

Criteria 1. Bed to Population ratio.

For its primary catchment area, the hospital being a level 3 application will have the (Samar) province as coverage area hence it will have a catchment population of approximately 1,438,000. As of the moment 340 hospital beds are available in the primary catchment area. The number of hospital beds are distributed as follows: Samar Provincial Hospital (100 beds), Calbayog District Hospital (75 beds), Gandara (10 beds), Bassey (25 beds), Tarangnan (10 beds), St. Camillus Hospital (25 beds), Calbayog Sanitarium Hospital (15 beds) and OLPHI (80 beds)

On the other hand, 350 beds are available in the secondary catchment area (and this would be the Northern Samar area). The hospitals in the area are Allen Hospital (50 beds), Biri (25 beds), Capul (25 beds), GB Tan (50 beds), NSPH (100 beds), Gamay (25 beds), San Antonio (25 beds), San Vicente (10 beds), Catubig (25 beds), Leoncio Uy Private Hospital (15 beds).

Total inventory of hospital beds is at 735, to include the approved PTC for 50-bed Samar Doctors.

The ideal bed-to-population ratio is = 0.511, which means that the province still needs 703 beds more. Calbayog's application for 25 beds is passed the first criteria; and that applying for 50 beds would still be okey.

Criteria 2. Travel Time. At least one hour away from the nearest hospital. This was not met, with OLPHI, a level-3 hospital and St. Camillus Hospital.

Criteria 3. Accessibility. This was okeyed by the group.

Criteria 4. Strategic Location. The group visited the proposed site after the meeting at Marju-Krisel and a recommendation is forthcoming.

Criteria 5. Integration in the local hospital development plan. As of today's meeting, only the City annual Investment Plan was received by DOH RO-8.

The following recommendations were presented by the DOH group and duly noted by the Ad Hoc Committee:

• The CON is approved, however there is a need to look into the clustering of the private hospitals in the proposed site.
• The possibility of the proposed hospital becoming a dumping ground of "indigent cases" which might be rejected by the private hospitals.
• The need for the hospital plan to be integrated in the City Development Plan for sustainability.
• Present budget is only for the construction of the hospital physical structure. Still needed to be looked into are manpower, equipment and service capability needs which cost bigger budget.

The group's report also included the "Case Mix of patients admitted in the hospital in Cabayog City:

1. Pneumonia
2. Congestive Heart Failure
3. Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease
4. PTB
5. AGE
6. UTI
7. Diabetes Mellitus
8. Peptic Ulcer Diseases
9. PUFT
10. Bronchial Ashma

Mayor Reynaldo Uy with DOH RO-8 Assistant Regional Director Dr. Minerva Molon.

(l-r) Mrs. Nellosa Guarda, Engr. Jasper De Veyra, Dr. Perla Ernocia, Dr. Exuperia Sabalbarino and Dr. Minerva Molon.

The Calbayog Hospital Ad Hoc Committee Members (l-r) Dr. Sylvia De Guzman (CHO), Engr. Gil Lentejas (CPDO), Mrs. Geronides Mancol (CBO), Mr. Jessie Montealto (CAO) and Atty. Oscar Hugo (CEO).

The group as they visited the proposed hospital site along the national highway in Sitio Talahib.

Mayor Uy with Dr. Molon.