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Health chief urges gov’t to address diseases

BAUKO, Mountain Province (Oct. 23) — Health is a manifestation of the prevailing socio-political and economic situation, an official of a regional hospital here said in an interview during a lull in the medical/dental mission here over the weekend. (Please see related article)

Chief of Hospital Dr. Edgardo Bolompo of the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital (LHMRH) said that hospital authorities only pay attention to admissions. He said it is the responsibility of local government units to identify and address the root causes of ailments at the community level.

“Gastroenteritis, for example, is just a manifestation of environmental sanitation and hygiene. Unless the community improves, diseases will prevail among the masses,” Bolompo disclosed in an interview.

Formerly the Cordillera Regional Hospital, LHMRH, the recipient and host of the two-day medical/dental mission, is a national secondary hospital. As such, minor operations are among its services. It used to have eight medical specialists and medical officers but at present two of them are on a training leave and two more will be on training for promotion purposes.

Bolompo said he looks forward to the realization of plans to make it a satellite hospital of the Baguio General Hospital. By then, BGH personnel may be assigned as part of their regular routine, to augment LHMRH personnel.

“In the meantime, we have to rely on medical missions and harness the expertise of other groups,” Bolompo said, adding that on November 18 and 19 another medical mission, this time by the Philippine College of Surgeons, will come to do mostly pediatric surgery.

On a P27 million annual budget, the hospital also has a SARS Unit and an isolation unit for other contagious diseases as meningococcemia and dengue.

He identified four elements of the Philippine health care system as financing, governance, regulation and service delivery.

“There are gaps and differences in implementation at present,” Bolompo admits, but is hopeful to come up with solutions to solve these.

Aside from western medicine practice, a staff of the hospital trained on acupuncture, reliable sources disclosed.

Bolompo, now 57, has been in the hospital since 1987. He was also Chief of Hospital in Barlig, also in Mountain Province, from 1976 to 1987. Like most of those who rendered free services during the medical mission, Bolompo is a member of the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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