The Davao Doctors Hospital renamed its operating room and ambulatory surgery complex in honor of one of its pioneers, Dr. Luisito Guanlao.
The commemorative naming was held Tuesday morning at the third floor of the main hospital building, with Dr. Guanlao himself in attendance.
The multi-million peso state-of-the-art facility is home to eight operating theaters, which includes one cath laboratory and an outpatient surgery facility.
Dr. Guanlao, a neurosurgeon, is among the brains behind the establishment of the hospital 50 years ago.
At a time when medical practice was conducted by generalists, Dr. Guanlao was among those who pioneered the trend of running a specialist hospital such as the Davao Doctors Hospital and changed the landscape of medicine in the city and region for decades to come, the hospital said in a statement.
Asked on his thoughts about the progress of the hospital so far, Guanlao told TIMES, “Mission accomplished.”
According to Dr. Guanlao, the current version of the hospital was a response to a need during the 1960s for a specialized hospital.
“Back in the day, patients had to fly over to Manila, Cebu, even New York to receive proper treatment,” Dr. Guanlao said.
Guanlao added that he was part of a batch of doctors called “The Dirty Dozen,” a group of neurosurgeons who were the only practitioners at the time.
Eventually, Dr. Guanlao found himself in Mindanao during a time when the practice of medicine was still facing challenges ranging from a lack of electricity around the island to a shortage of equipment.
The facilities at the Dr. Luisito Guanlao operating room and ambulatory surgery complex are as follows:
• Minimally invasive surgery room
• Ortho/spine surgery room
• General surgery room
• Gyne surgery room
• Gyne/general surgery room for infectious cases
• Opthalmology Room
• Ambulatory surgery room, and
• Cath laboratory.
