More Negros Oriental LGUs adopting smoke-free ordinance

by Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, July 7 (PIA) --- The dream of being the first 100% smoke-free province inthe Philippines is slowly coming true for Negros Oriental as more local government units (LGUs) here are adopting the smoke-free ordinance as provided for by RA 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act. 

This after three LGUs are set to launch their smoke-free ordinances this month of July. 

The province's capital city, Dumaguete, is set to launch its ordinance on July 15 while the town of Bindoy on July 13 and Jimalalud, July 14. 

Amlan, the town that successfully pioneered the ordinance's adoption, will mark their second year of implementation of the smoke-free law on July 15. 

The LGUs of Zamboanguita, Mabinay, Ayungon, Tanjay City and Canlaon City have already conducted public hearings on the ordinance, while Guihulngan City is about to hold a first reading. The town of San Jose already held a first reading, said Bernie Maniego, health director of Framework Convention Alliance on Tobacco- Free Philippines. 

Maniego's group has been working closely with the LGUs in the province for them to craft local smoke-free ordinances, with the end-goal of making the province the first to implement the smoke-free law on a province-wide scale. 

Maniego said the latest statistics show there are 84,700 Filipinos who die annually due to diseases caused by smoking.  

He hopes said ordinance will be largely implemented among all LGUs in the province. “Hopefully, Negros Oriental will be the first province in the Philippines that is a smoke-free province because all its towns and cities are implementing the smoke-free ordinance,” he said. 

Maniego urged the mayors of LGUs who have yet to adopt the ordinance to start crafting one now. “Let's aside our personal and political interests and prioritize the welfare of your people,” he said. 

He added that the mayors are welcome to seek his group's help in adopting said ordinance. “We can give you technical support all throughout,” he promised.  (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)

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DOH to modernize healthcare facilities thru PPP
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos

DUMAGUETE CITY, July 6 (PIA)      The Department of Health (DOH) has forged in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) to help modernize government hospitals and other health facilities in the next five years.

With this, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the health department has allocated a more than P35 billion for the implementation of ‘Kalusugan Pangkalahatan’ or Universal Health Care (UHC).

Secretary Ona assigned Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa of DOH to take charge of the technical aspect for the improvement and updating of government hospitals and health facilities.

For now, some 24 projects have been lined-up to modernize and expand major medical centers in the country using a PPP approach, said Usec. Herbosa.  

Government hospitals are in need to be updated to correct the age-old inequities in health services to ensure that the poor and the vulnerable sectors to receive the benefits of health reforms, Herbosa said.

In pursuing the reforms of Kalusugang Pangkalahatan, the government has to work closely with civil society and private sector in improving access to quality hospitals and health care facilities, enrolling the very poor families in PhilHealth, and attain the health related Millennium Development Goals, Dr. Ona said.

The DOH is focusing on increasing the coverage of the poorest of the poor to be registered with PhilHealth but needs to link up with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to place P100 per month per family from the P 21 billion Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program. (PIA NegOr/JCT)

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New P80-M building at Negros Oriental hospital breaks ground

by Rachelle M. Nessia

DUMAGUETE CITY, July 6 (PIA) --- The proposed out-patient department building at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) in Dumaguete City broke ground today, July 6, 2011 with top officials from the Department of Health (DOH) attending the ceremony. 

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo led the lowering of a time capsule at the empty lot behind the NOPH New Administration Building, together with DOH Undersecretary  Nemesio Gaco, Assistant Secretary  Teodoro Herbosa and Enrique Tayag, signalling the start of construction work of the P80-million building. 

DOH has infused P77 million for the construction of the three-storey building. 

Construction costs are also being aided by the European Union, according to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Dante Domingo. 

Domingo thanked DOH for their funding assistance, saying that the new building will boost the NOPH, classified as a Tertiary 1 government hospital.  "We promise to further improve our delivery of health services for our people in the province," he told the DOH officials during the program held after the groundbreaking. 

Usec. Herbosa disclosed that the DOH funding is a national grant aimed at improving pro-poor health systems nationwide. “We want to see public hospitals deliver quality health service at low cost, which is why we are putting money in basic health services and facilities,” he stressed. 

DOH spent P7 billion in 2010 for construction of various health facilities across the country. 

Gov. Degamo, in his speech, said the new OPD structure supports the provincial government's efforts to provide quality health care services to Negrenses.  "It is my desire to meet the health needs of the people by providing patients a sanitary and comfortable place to stay at the NOPH," he stressed. 

The new building is the fifth important health initiative launched in the province this year, starting with the Provincial Health Insurance of Negros Oriental (PHINO), fully integrated computerized health system, procurement of a diagnostic imaging equipment and the ongoing construction of the Central Block Building behind the NOPH. 

Measures to improve the provincial hospital's facilities were started during the administration of the late Gov. Emilio C. Macias II who was a doctor by profession. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)