IT’S BEEN some years now since Davao City started operating its own college. Of course, we are aware that student enrollment is limited for the time being. However, it has already helped a number of youth of school age pursue their dreams of getting college degrees.
The school’s establishment was a major accomplishment of the Davao City Council Committee on Education, headed by educator, now outgoing councilor, Pilar Braga. Its continued operation for the past few years is made possible with the support of the City Council, which has religiously provided the necessary funds on a year-on-year basis.
With the City College now in place, what we, and many other Davaoeños, are looking forward to is the establishment of a city-owned and operated hospital. We are certain that many residents of Davao City are eagerly awaiting the realization of such an ambitious but noble project.
After all, it cannot be denied that the government-owned Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), which caters not only to people from the city but also from neighboring provinces, is too “overloaded” with patients of various illnesses.
Hence, if Davao City finally has its own hospital and will only accept patients who are legitimate residents of the city, then, for certain, it will be a big load off the shoulders of SPMC.
Now, can Davao City afford to run its own hospital fully staffed, provided with the best of equipment, and with enough medicines for patients?
Our take is that it can. What with the city having an annual income in billions of pesos.
But of course, establishing a city hospital is a matter of priority by the local officials from the Executive Department down to the Legislative branch of the local government.
So, if the top officials believe that the health of the city residents can still be attended to by existing public and private hospitals, then putting up a city hospital will be far from the minds of Davao City’s leaders.
Some years back, however, we heard of reports that the City Council was commissioning a study on the viability of operating a city hospital. And if we heard it right, the city government was in consultation with the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital for a feasibility study on the establishment of the long-desired hospital of the city.
But again, the talks of operating such a health facility appear to have morphed into a nebulous dream. Meaning, the hospital project is possibly slept on.
We can only hope that those who spearheaded the planned city-owned hospital project will be awakened from their stupor and proceed in realizing that big dream.
This brings to mind the “dumped” sports dome building constructed in a lot donated by some filthy rich families in Tagum to the local government of Davao City.
The sports dome has already been constructed. In fact the air conditioning system was ready for installation, had not politics intervened in the project.
Yes, if the land donation is still in effect, the city government can save a huge amount for the construction of the hospital building. It could use the abandoned structure, redesign the building, taking into consideration the need for rooms and spaces for hospital equipment and facilities like laboratories, and others.
With the hospital building already taken care of, all the city will be working on will be to look for money to purchase the needed hospital requirements like mirror imaging machines, laboratory facilities, various medicines, and other needs for a hospital’s day-to-day operation.
Of course, one of the most important budgetary needs is salaries and wages of employees like doctors, nurses, support staff, etc., etc.
With the new Council about to assume, we are hoping that whoever sits as chair of the Health Committee will start looking into the viability of establishing a hospital for the city and utilizing the abandoned sports dome building for the purpose.
It is worth reminding the City Councilors and the people of the city that the sports dome building was constructed with borrowed funds amounting to something like P350 or so million from the Land Bank. The loan was already fully settled a few years back, from taxes paid by us Davaoenos.
So, we might as well find ways to use the said building.
But who among our councilors has the foresight?
