Davao Sur hospital gets P100M in fresh funds

DIGOS CITY, Philippines—The Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital (DSPH), which was described by Gov. Claude Bautista as “neglected by the past administration,” got a boost this year with the infusion of some P100 million in fresh funds.

Dr. Glinard Quezada, DSPH chief, said Bautista has approved the release of new funds for the hospital, which has been the object of criticisms because of poor service and lack of medicines, under the 2014 annual investment program.

The budget will be used for the purchase of hospital equipment such as CT scan machine, two units of mammogram machine, five units of ultrasound machine, five units of digital machine for computer radiography and X-ray machines, Quezada said.

He said for medicines alone, Bautista has approved the allotment of some P12 million in funds.

“If needed, the amount set aside for medicines will be augmented under the supplemental budget,” Quezada said.

Quezada said there are only five doctors on duty each day in the hospital.

He said the governor also approved plans to increase the daily wage of volunteer nurses from P220 to P309 per day and of pharmacists and other employees to P409 per day.

He said the DSPH also planned to hire 11 more medical practitioners and 156 other workers to address the lack of manpower in the hospital, which caters mainly to indigent patients. Orlando Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao