Quality health care

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The decision of the Provincial Board to give the governor blanket authority to enter into a loan agreement involving P350 million from the Development Bank of the Philippines, for the construction of the central block building in the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, can be considered a good one.

The result of the voting was quite close at 6-5, and all board members present voted according to their beliefs, as to whether the facility is important and necessary so the marginalized sector of our province could access quality medical health services.

The committee chairman interpreted the approval of the loan authority as a triumph of local autonomy, and said that, if possible, local government units should rely on their own resources and not wait for funding from the national government.

Let the government pay interest for the loans, if it means that our indigent brothers and sisters could avail of quality health care. By doing what is good for less fortunate individuals, may be good practices emulated by others.

Forget the P100 million for the building that the Department of Health promised it will give every year for three years to Negros Oriental. It might not even materialize, in the absence of documents confirming it.

We believe that giving efficient and effective health services to people in need, especially indigent patients, will at least ease their pain from health problems, so they can focus more on their day to day problems involving livelihood.

We therefore hope and pray that our officials will support this project until its completion.*