This is an interesting story and a first-hand account the reader should not miss. To depart from previous subjects mentioned here, this is a feel-good story.
In a meeting that this columnist attended yesterday (May 31, 2024), as one of the Private Sector Representatives present, the RDC Social Development Committee had on its agenda two important proposals with corresponding budgets that totaled nearly two and a quarter billion pesos.
The two proposals that stood out as very urgent because these would surely boost the quality of life in this region were the offering of a medical degree course at the Eastern Samar State University in Borongan, Eastern Samar, and the completion of facilities and acquisition of diesel generators that will solve the occasional power outages in the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (formerly EVRMC).
Excellent Pitch
Dr. Vicente A. Agda and his staff made an excellent pitch for the medical course. Dr. Joseph Michael Jaro, Chief of the EVMC made a persuasive appeal for support for his proposal to improve various facilities and ensure a reliable and sufficient backup power and electrical system at EVMC.
Coincidentally, both presenters were seated beside each other, and no doubt committed to helping each other in achieving their goals. EVMC offered to host the students of ESSU as medical interns. It can be ESSU’s base hospital, a strict requirement of CHED. Dr. Agda asked for support from the national government for P143 million to start the ball rolling as he described it.
Dr. Jaro asked for support for a much larger budget requirement – approximately P2.15 billion. He said that this amount is needed to implement 4 projects, namely: Completion of a Trauma Building and a Multi-Disciplinary Building, the Equipping of Various Specialty Centers, and a Power Generating Facility with Accessories (including six 750 KW diesel-powered generating units).
Revealing Information
This columnist moved for the endorsement of the ESSU proposal, pointing out that the RDC already endorsed the offering of medical courses in the Samar State University in Catbalogan and the University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman. Therefore, from the legal standpoint, the RDC is estopped from not granting this request for endorsement. The approval of these courses in these Samar provinces reveals the support of the RDC for improving the health situation in Samar Island which has provinces that are among those with the highest incidence of poverty in the country.
For the EVMC, Dr. Jaro gave some equally revealing information. For instance, he said there is no radiation facility for cancer patients in EVMC making this regional hospital the only one among the country’s regional hospitals without such important equipment. He stated that soon the EVMC can handle organ transplants and is working on its capability to carry out open heart surgery. He also stated that power brownouts are a major problem in the hospital.
To wrap up this story, this columnist moved for the endorsement of the ESSU proposal to open a medical course in ESSU Borongan and seconded the motion to endorse the EVMC budget proposal (Another committee member just got ahead of this columnist in moving for endorsement).
Later, the RDC can cover these projects in its monitoring activities. As reported and described in this printed space, many projects are needed to improve this region’s social and economic well-being.
However, faulty implementation often gets in the way of many projects.
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