Zambales Prov’l Gov’t to adopt Pangasinan’s Best Practices in Hospital Management

Lingayen – Health officials, including some department heads of the provincial government of Zambales have expressed intent to adopt the best practices of the provincial government of Pangasinan in hospital management and health care services that are initiated by the administration of Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr.

            This was bared by Dr. Noel C. Bueno, Provincial Health Officer II of Zambales, during their courtesy call on Governor Espino last March 11. Bueno, together with Chiefs of Hospitals Eduardo Passi (Candelaria District Hospital) and Nicolas Guiang (San Marcelino District Hospital), who are both Pangasinense, lauded the Espino administration for integrating innovations and reforms in the 14 hospitals managed by the provincial government.

            “Nabalitaan kasi namin na maganda ang pamamalakad ng probinsya ng Pangasinan sa procurement ng mga gamot at sa PhilHealth enrolment ng mga hospital para sa mga indigent patients,” said Bueno, Chief of Hospital of Zambales Provincial Hospital in Iba.

            Ramon Morden, who welcomed the delegation from Zambales on behalf of Governor Espino, informed the health officials of Zambales on the “Point of Care” program of the province that is implemented in partnership with the PhilHealth.

            To jumpstart the Point of Care program, the provincial government spent more than 60 million as payment to the insurance premium (Php2,400) of the PhilHealth enrollees in the province.

             Morden also cited that the Pangasinan Provincial Health Office (PHO) is the first health office of a provincial Local Government Unit (LGU) in the entire country that was awarded the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Certification in January 23, 2014. The Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH), on the other hand, received its ISO certification on May 12 last year.  

Even hospital facilities in community and district hospitals of the province, Morden said, have been upgraded under Governor Espino’s administration.    

            Meanwhile, Dr. Guiang, brother of Burgos Mayor Alberto Guiang, Jr., stressed that the health delivery system in Pangasinan has drastically improved. “I know that because I am a practicing physician and resident of Pangasinan. Maganda talaga ang pamamalakad sa mga ospital ng probinsya dito,” he added.  

            “Na-aappreciate ng mga tao ang pagpapatakbo ng PhilHealth Insurance system dito -- that’s the reason why we are here… para malaman at ma-adopt din namin sa Zambales,” Guiang said. 

The visit to the province by the Zambales LGU was coordinated to the Provincial Health Office (PHO) by Dr. Passi, a surgeon who worked at Western Pangasinan District Hospital in Alaminos City from 2008-2013 before he accepted his present work assignment in Zambales.               

            Part of their visit, the Zambales health team were also toured at the Capitol building, Urduja House and Sison Auditorium; presentation of best practices in hospital management and health care programs and services at the Capitol Resort Hotel while in the afternoon, the team visited PPH in Bolingit, San Carlos City to take a closer look at the best practices in health governance of the present provincial administration.

            /MGNO