DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) — The city government here will construct a modern hospital on the former site of the Dumaguete TB Pavilion in Barangay Talay.
This after the Philippine Tuberculosis Society Inc. (PTSI) donated their one-hectare property to the city government.
PTSI president Dr. Camilo Roa said they support the city government’s plans to develop the property into an updated health care facility that will improve the delivery of health services to the people.
Putting up a modern hospital will also make tuberculosis (TB) treatment more holistic.
“It makes sense to give it to the city because in TB, comprehensive ang treatment. It’s not just TB itself that we have to attack, we have to attack other things in health like diabetes. Pag-diabetic ka, malaki ang chance na magka-TB. Kanang mga nag-dialysis (due to) renal failure, kapag mag-ubo rin yan baka TB rin yan. Daghan sakit caused by immune problem these other diseases create magka-TB,” Roa said.
(Diabetics have high risk of acquiring TB. Those who are undergoing dialysis due to renal failure, when they develop cough it could potentially be TB. There are a lot of immune problems that other diseases create which make them vulnerable also for TB.)
The donated property is adjacent to the City Health Office, which is also located in the same barangay.
Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Remollo thanked PTSI for their donation, saying that providing quality health services and ensuring the well-being of Dumagueteños are the priority of the city government.
“I’m so blessed with this donation. Thank you for your full support all the directors of the PTSI. We will treasure the donation and this will be a big contribution to the betterment of our health of our constituents of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, and nearby LGUs,” said Remollo.
Roa also committed to provide the city government with a mobile X-ray machine equipped with AI tools that could help detect early stages of TB infection.
The signing of the deed of donation was held on Aug. 9 at the Dumaguete City Session Hall.
Officials from PTSI, including former senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III who is now the group’s chairperson for Committee on Legal Concerns, and former health secretary and now PTSI’s medical director Dr. Paulyn Jean Ubial, witnessed the signing of the deed of donation together with city health office staff and department heads of the city government.
Guingona highlighted the importance of TB treatment.
“Kami sa PTSI ang among specialty patyon gud ang kagaw na gitawag na TB. Importante ning higayon kay kining balay-tambalanan na ituman ni Mayor Ipe, sugdan na nato,” Guingona said.
(Our specialty at the PTSI is to kill the virus that causes TB. Establishing a modern treatment center is very important and we see Mayor Remollo is sincere in pursuing this.)
While establishing modern treatment facilities is important to make TB treatment more accessible to the public, Ubial said PhilHealth should also match this by improving the medical benefits for TB patients.
“We’re lobbying sa PhilHealth na ma-include tanan klase ng TB. Kasi ang gi-reimburse nila karon is the adult and pedia pero yung mga complicated na TB dili kauban sa benefit sa PhilHealth. So lahat ng TB dapat sulod sa PhilHealth,” Ubial said.
(We’re lobbying for PhilHealth to include in its benefit packages all types of TB. Right now, what they are reimbursing are only adult and pedia TB cases, but the complicated TB types are not included in Philhealth Benefits. Everything should be covered). (RAL/PIA7 Negros Oriental)
