LUBAO, Pampanga – Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial of the Department of Health (DOH) announced that the multi-million peso newly constructed Escolastica Romero District Hospital (ERDH) in this town is ‘gold standard’ for government-run hospitals across the country.
This was gleaned during the blessing and inauguration of ERDH yesterday (April 5) attended by Gov. Lilia ‘Nanay’ Pineda, former president and now 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her family, Provincial Board headed by Vice Gov. Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda, Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab, DOH Asec Leonita Gorgolon, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) President Hildegardes Dineros, Capitol department heads and other local officials.
“This (ERDH) will be our model for all government hospitals nationwide,” the secretary said.
“The minute the patient comes in, hindi pa siya ginagamot maganda na ang kanyang pakiramdam. Hindi pa ginagamot ang pasyente, gaganda na ang kanyang pakiramdam just being in a clean, orderly, very comfortable hospital,” Ubial added.
Ubial also assured Gov. Pineda, Rep. Arroyo and Mayor Cayabyab that the DOH will continue to provide assistance to ERDH and other government-run hospitals in the province.
“Ang masasabi ko lang po if the local government shows us accomplishment and great things that they have done with the assistance from the DOH, the more we will provide assistance to local governments who actually make wise use of the government resources and the allocation that we have provided,” Ubial said.
It was learned that the provincial government has spent P65 million for the ERDH building alone that can accommodate up to a hundred patients. This excludes the facilities and other medical equipment inside the new building.
Aside from the ERDH building, a P25million two-story building funded by the DOH was also inaugurated.
Dr. Cenon Ponce, chief of hospital, said the two-storey building will be used as a diagnostic center.
The chief of hospital added that aside from the building, the DOH also provided beds and a CT (computerized tomography) scan machine for the hospital.
Lubao Mayor Pineda-Cayabyab pointed out that the hospital will not only be beneficial to Lubao residents but to all Kapampangans.
Rep. Arroyo for her part thanked the administration of Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte for the “past, present and future assistance” to ERDH.
Arroyo also disclosed that ERDH was named after her great grandmother Escolastica Romero. It was also the same hospital were former Pres. Diosdado Macapagal was healed during his childhood.
During the inauguration, Gov. Pineda asked the hospital staff to serve all Kapampangan patients admitted at ERDH with utmost dedication.
“My wish is that doctors, nurses and other hospital staff should love this hospital. Their hearts and dedication should be in this hospital,” the governor said.
ERDH is one of the eleven district and provincial hospitals in Pampanga run by the provincial government.
LIEZEL CAYANAN
