Residents and tourists in Coron and its neighboring towns in the Calamianes can now avail of the medical treatment and other health services that will be provided by the newly-built 50-bed district hospital which was inaugurated Wednesday.
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III, who personally attended the event on Thursday, called on its medical staff to provide the best medical services to patients and show them respect.
“Ang mahalaga sa lahat ay ‘yong tinatawag natin na serbisyong ramdam ni Juan at ni Juana. Public service that is truly felt and public service that is truly endearing in the hearts of our people. Hindi ramdam ang pagbabago hangga’t hindi ramdam ang pagmamalasakit. Kaya bigyan natin ng buhay ang salitang malasakit dito sa loob ng napakagandang Coron District Hospital (CDH),” Duque said.
The three-storey building which was jointly funded by the DOH under its Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) and the provincial government of Palawan will also serve as a “tourism hospital.”
The total fund that was utilized to construct the CDH was P148,171,806.75.
The CDH’s facilities and services include Doctor’s/Nurse’s Quarter, Dietary/Linen Building, Isolation Building, Material Recovery Facility, Mortuary Building, Motorpool/Powerhouse Building, Elevated Water Tank, Water Treatment Facility and Sewerage Treatment Plant.
Duque also recognized Governor Jose Alvarez’ leadership dedication to address the gap in the medical and health needs of the people.
“One of the greatest things that ever happened to this province of Palawan, indeed the governorship of Governor Alvarez. I think he is one visionary and dynamic, very progressive-minded local chief executive and to me, I consider him as a model local chief executive worthy of emulation by all other chief executives of our country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mario Baquilod, regional director of the DOH in the MIMAROPA, said the establishment of the hospital is “a very significant accomplishment of the region and the provincial government.
He said the facility will serve tourists too who may need emergency health attention while on vacation.
“Itong ating ospital ay tinatawag natin na one of the major components of the service delivery networks. Ito ang syang aasahan ng ating mamamayan dito sa maunlad na probinsya ng Palawan,” Baquilod said.
The hospital building has a total floor area of 4,320 square meters.
Baquilod said it is expected to augment the medical services being provided by the Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital (CSGH), a DOH-retained hospital.
For his part, Governor Alvarez said the CDH will now be able to provide fast medical services to the residents in the Calamianes.
“Dahil napakalapad ng lalawigan ng Palawan, we are poorest in health service. But ngayon, slowly we are catching up with the rest of the country. For the last 40 years, the hospital that was here was made of concrete, wood and with galvanized iron roof, it was about to collapse. And the Mayor insisted na please make us a hospital, si Mayor Baracosso ito, kaya ngayon pinalitan na natin ito,” Alvarez said.
On the other hand, Coron mayor Ajerico Barracoso thanked Alvarez, the provincial government, and the DOH for the new hospital that will upgrade the provision of medical service in their town.
“Our gratitude and appreciation sa ating masipag na provincial government through the strong leadership of Governor Alvarez by establishing state-of-the-art hospitals across the province of Palawan,” said Baracosso.
The CDH was established in 1973 and initially named Coron Emergency Hospital before it was transferred under the supervision of the provincial government in 1991.
It is the sixth hospital that was recently inaugurated by the provincial government and the DOH. The others are Dr. Jose Rizal District Hospital in Rizal; Roxas Medicare Hospital and Southern Palawan Provincial Hospital in Brooke’s Point; Narra Municipal Hospital and Aborlan Medicare Hospital.
