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The issue of admission refusal at the Provincial Hospital was raised at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan last week by the Vice Governor himself which briefed some media personalities to interview the chief of hospital for explanation.
SP Presiding Officer and Vice Governor Roseller L. Ariosa, on January 10 disclosed that he received complaints that the Provincial hospital is not accepting patients when it is already full. Moreover, he questioned why can’t the hospital management accommodate patients in the aisle while its primary mandate is to save lives of the people. “Which is more important – the cleanliness of the hospital or the life of the people?” he asked?
In an interview with Dr. Atilano Ocampos, chief of the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Hospital, he was glad that the issue has reached the media so that the public would know how a provincial hospital is operating.
Ocampos pointed out that since he assumed responsibility at the Provincial Hospital over a year ago, all the doctors had agreed to adhere the Department of Health’s policy that “no refusal of admission” so long that it is doctor’s advice.
The chief of hospital clarified that the Zamboanga del Sur provincial hospital is actually a 50-bed capacity but in reality it accommodates 100 admissions and even more in a day.
Ocampos stressed that public health services are divided into 4 levels emphasizing that the Provincial Hospital is the highest level, whose priority are those major and emergency cases, like accident victims, gunshot or fire victims, and the like.
Inasmuch as we wish to accommodate all the sick but since our hospital can only accommodate the most of 100, we strictly follow the “referral system” where we prioritize patients from municipalities with accompanying referral from the doctors of municipal or district hospital, Ocampos said.
Ocampos added that referrals are done by doctors from the municipal health station or from the district hospital for patients of serious ailments to be treated at the Provincial Hospital. Moreover, the Provincial Hospital is divided into 4 departments – 1) OB-Gyne, 2) Pedia, 3) Medicine and 4) Surgery.
Under this situation, patients are admitted according to the kind of medical attention they need. Children should not be mixed with patients suffering from tuberculosis or hepatitis which fall to the medicine department while surgical patients must be isolated from other patients, Ocampos cited.
On the issue why not utilize the aisle when the wards are full? Ocampos explained that the aisle of the hospital is the way to the different departments which should be free from any obstruction. In fact, it is built two meters wide for easy movement of patients in case of emergency. Last update : 21-01-2008 18:16
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