By the way he dresses and speaks, Dr. Eduardo M. Badua III exudes the aura and charisma of an everyday man, always ready to converse about anything under the sun.
Despite his demanding career, he has maintained his down-to-earth demeanor and approachable nature, which even seemed to hide his tireless dedication to healthcare.
“I was just an ordinary student who pursued a Doctor of Medicine degree,” Badua said, explaining how a lifetime career in healthcare started with a simple dream.
Overcoming the rigors of his education in the field of medicine, Badua eventually found his residence in pathology, a field of medical science that involves the study of diseases.
Core training in the Cagayan Valley
“I started my career working in a laboratory, studying the blood and tissues, doing biopsies and autopsies. I was trained with all of these,” Badua said, as he explained how he started his medical career from the ground up.
In the first 25 years of his medical career, Badua was honed by his experience working in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, while also lending his expertise to teaching at a college of medicine in the area.
His years of dedicated service were rewarded when he first became Chief of the Medical Professional Staff and then as an officer-in-charge at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in the city.
His leadership in the CVMC also led to his being appointed as head of the Southern Isabela Medical Center (SIMC) in Santiago City, Region 2’s lone independent city.
“I was trained by my years of experience there on public health, especially on the blood program and other programs of the Department of Health (DOH),” Badua said.
Service excellence in the Ilocos Region
His excellence during his stint in Region 2 led to his appointment as Medical Center Chief II of the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center (ITRMC) in San Fernando City, La Union, in 2018.
Badua said that when he first arrived at the ITRMC, his first agenda was to fix the operations of the hospital to enable it to give prompt service to residents needing medical assistance.
His leadership led to better revenue generation for the ITRMC, in part due to the health sector reform, better payment through PhilHealth, and assistance from various public sector partners.
“Little by little, the fees being paid by patients became less, and we were able to give them the services they needed,” Badua added.
A change in healthcare mindset
Asked about his greatest achievement in working with the ITRMC, Badua said that he is most proud of the way the mindset of the ITRMC staff, patients, and customers has changed because of the way services and the culture of the hospital were enhanced under his guidance.
“I am most proud of the way we were able to elevate the quality of care that is given to our patients,” Badua said, noting that ratings from customers using the hospital scorecard have dramatically improved over the last few years.
Under Badua’s helm, the ITRMC’s patient rating reached the highest among tertiary hospitals nationwide, a testament to Badua’s leadership and will to improve the hospital’s services.
Facing healthcare system challenges
Badua next saw the need to expand the bed capacity of the hospital to cater to the increasing needs of patients availing of the ITRMC’s services.
He sought the assistance of public sector partners, leading to the enactment of Republic Act No. 11724 in 2022, which increased the bed capacity of the ITRMC from 300 to 800.
“That is the biggest help we have gotten as a hospital so far. Our manpower complement is also set to increase,” Badua said.
Badua added that hospital funding gradually increased as a result of the legislation, helping ease the challenge of maintaining its wide range of hospital operations amid the steady increase in patient demand.
Service above self
After decades of service on the healthcare front and countless achievements as well as challenges faced along the way, Badua said he gets inspiration to continue from the satisfaction he obtains from helping people in need.
“I, myself, received specialty treatment, and I needed to travel far to receive the medical attention,” Badua said, explaining his goal of improving health services in La Union and its adjacent areas.
Badua added that going through his own health problems fueled the fire inside of him to bring services closer to the people and lessen their expenses, especially the indigent, who live a daily hand-to-mouth existence.
“Who doesn’t want to help those who are suffering? I myself get sick, and our families get sick. It is imperative to help those in need because we are the ones who are able to provide it to them,” Badua said in closing.
Dr. Badua’s story is a testament to the transformative power of dedication and leadership.
He did not stop with being just a doctor; he has become a champion for accessible, high-quality healthcare, building a healthier future for countless patients. (AMB/CCMT/PIA La Union)
