QC mayor urged to set up geriatric wards in all city-run hospitals

A councilor has pushed for the approval of an ordinance that will require the Quezon City government to allot 10 percent of all beds in publicly run hospitals for the exclusive use of elderly residents.

The resolution of Councilor Rogelio Juan of the sixth district calls on Mayor Herbert Bautista to order the management of city-owned hospitals, including Quezon City General Hospital (QCGH) and Novaliches District Hospital (NDH), to designate wards for senior citizens.

According to the Quezon City government website, there are 15 public hospitals in the area. The QCGH and NDH serve as referral centers for some 60 health centers and clinics in the city.

In his proposed ordinance, Juan cited the city’s policy of ensuring the protection of and promoting the right to health of senior citizens. He also referred to a provision in the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 that provides for the establishment of a geriatric ward in every government hospital.

He explained: “The elderly patients, especially those who are underprivileged, cannot afford [to stay in] a private ward, hospital facility or medical home to meet their immediate medical requirements.”

The councilor also pointed out that staying in crowded wards was highly inconvenient for senior citizens.

Juan said there was a need to establish a senior citizens’ ward in city-owned hospitals to exclusively accommodate their medical needs and requirements and ensure they would be given priority.