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PRESIDENT Arroyo on Thursday gifted the Philippine
General Hospital (PGH) with a P100-million fund for its
ongoing modernization, to be supported by P150-million
more in the next three years.
At the
celebration of the 100th anniversary of PGH, the
President said the P100 million–sourced equally from the
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Philippine
Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor)–was a fitting
tribute to the government hospital’s long service to the
people, or P1 million for every year of service.
She said
that from 2008 to 2010, the PGH will receive P50 million
per year for its rehabilitation program from Pagcor.
“Earmarking gaming income for health has always been a
good winning combination....We’re infusing funds to PGH
from sources because defeating disease should not be a
game of chance,” the President said.
The
President said the government is working on replicating
lung, heart and kidney centers in major cities “so that
hopefully any Mike–not just my Mike and my Mikey–can get
better care.”
Alfiler
gave an update on how the PGH has been using its
rehabilitation fund for renovation and equipment
upgrade, including the purchase of CT scans, a dual-head
gamma camera, a color doppler ultrasound, a mobile unit
van fitted with various diagnostic and emergency
equipment.
The fund
has also been used for its Expanded Health Services for
the Poor project, surgical and medical/dental missions,
among other programs.
Meanwhile, hospital officials said the PGH will remain
the bastion of training for specialists, in a period
when many doctors opt to work overseas.
Dr.
Michael Tee, PGH spokesman, said the government hospital
would remain as the leader in “enhancing training for
specialists.”
Under
the University of the
Philippines,
the 100-year-old public medical facility trains an
average of 160 medical students annually. The same
number usually gets accepted as medical interns in their
last year at medical school.
They are
joined by about 80 to 90 postgraduate interns from other
medical schools from about 1,000 applicants all over the
country.
Around
150 residents and 60 clinical fellows graduate from the
university hospital every year. They are made to fully
conform to PGH’s thrusts of service, training and
research that are crucial in training them to be the
best healthcare providers.
Besides
training medical practitioners, Tee said PGH “will
maintain its world-class status” through cost-effective
research needed to face the challenges of globalization.
Nearly
5,000 Filipino doctors have left the country for work
overseas in the last six years, prompting the World
Health Organization to warn that the exodus of medical
practitioners may harm the country’s health-care
system. |
