ebtg
Nov 7, 2003, 11:56 AM
Claiming to be the premier tertiary hospital, one of the missions of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) is "to be the role model for health care delivery in the country." However, as the reader will come to realize in what follows, there exists a sharp disjunction between what is worded and what is actualized. This is a crisis--for that is the word that adequately describes the phenomenon that has plagued this institution for far too long.
As of March 2003, PGH has been experiencing a severe shortage of operating linens and gowns that are essential to execute a safe and hygienic operation. All non-charity patients are currently being asked to purchase commercialized linens and gowns while about a third of the charity patients have to do the same before being operated on. A set of these commercialized items costs at least 1,800 pesos--money that could have been spent instead for the medication of the patient. All of the surgical departments are affected by this shortage. The costs could run up to 736,000 pesos per month, which means that more than 4.4 million pesos has been spent on commercialized gowns since March.
Keep in mind that those who are able to use PGH linens are not to be envied. The majority of these linens should have been condemned already.
To be fair, the administration has indicated that money has already been allocated for the purchase of these operating room necessities and that it will be released in three months. It is interesting to note at this point, however, that the administration said this in April 2003.
Adding to the cost of purchasing linens and gowns, basic laboratory tests such as CBC and blood chemistries have to be "outsourced" to private laboratories surrounding PGH because its own laboratory sorely lacks reagents to perform these tests. Unfortunately, these private laboratories charge about 200 to 200 percent higher than that of PGH's rates. Other essential items that have sometimes been out of stock are intrevenous lines and fluids, gloves, operating sponges, needles, caps and masks. The anesthetic of choice because of its low cost, isoflurane, has also been unavailable at certain times. Patients who need this would have to buy it at the cost of 3,500 pesos, illegally. Even the sterilizing machine, which basically sterilizes the surgical instruments needed for an operation, has been malfunctioning for the past two years.
Scheduled operations would sometimes have to be postponed because of the unavailability of linens and gowns or an anesthetic. In the emergency room, where a quick response is essential for the survival of the patient, some patients are not immediately operated on simply because the linens there are reserved for more serious trauma cases. This represents a tremendous and unforgivable disservice to the patients of PGH who needlessly have to bear the costs and risks.
The inability of PGH to deliver adequate medical and health services to its patients drives a wedge between its aspiration to bridge the gap between the poor and quality health care. Under these dire circumstances, it is difficult to imagine PGH realizing its vision to become the "center of excellence and leadership in health care, training and research that creates an impact on health policies."
Don R. Paloyo, M.D.
President, Physician's Association
University of the Philippines
Philippine General Hospital
Taft Avenue, Manila
(Please forward to your friends and family. Reprinted, with minor
corrections, from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Letters to the Editor
section, Nov. 06, 2003.)
http://www.inq7.net/opi/2003/nov/06/letter_3-1.htm
As of March 2003, PGH has been experiencing a severe shortage of operating linens and gowns that are essential to execute a safe and hygienic operation. All non-charity patients are currently being asked to purchase commercialized linens and gowns while about a third of the charity patients have to do the same before being operated on. A set of these commercialized items costs at least 1,800 pesos--money that could have been spent instead for the medication of the patient. All of the surgical departments are affected by this shortage. The costs could run up to 736,000 pesos per month, which means that more than 4.4 million pesos has been spent on commercialized gowns since March.
Keep in mind that those who are able to use PGH linens are not to be envied. The majority of these linens should have been condemned already.
To be fair, the administration has indicated that money has already been allocated for the purchase of these operating room necessities and that it will be released in three months. It is interesting to note at this point, however, that the administration said this in April 2003.
Adding to the cost of purchasing linens and gowns, basic laboratory tests such as CBC and blood chemistries have to be "outsourced" to private laboratories surrounding PGH because its own laboratory sorely lacks reagents to perform these tests. Unfortunately, these private laboratories charge about 200 to 200 percent higher than that of PGH's rates. Other essential items that have sometimes been out of stock are intrevenous lines and fluids, gloves, operating sponges, needles, caps and masks. The anesthetic of choice because of its low cost, isoflurane, has also been unavailable at certain times. Patients who need this would have to buy it at the cost of 3,500 pesos, illegally. Even the sterilizing machine, which basically sterilizes the surgical instruments needed for an operation, has been malfunctioning for the past two years.
Scheduled operations would sometimes have to be postponed because of the unavailability of linens and gowns or an anesthetic. In the emergency room, where a quick response is essential for the survival of the patient, some patients are not immediately operated on simply because the linens there are reserved for more serious trauma cases. This represents a tremendous and unforgivable disservice to the patients of PGH who needlessly have to bear the costs and risks.
The inability of PGH to deliver adequate medical and health services to its patients drives a wedge between its aspiration to bridge the gap between the poor and quality health care. Under these dire circumstances, it is difficult to imagine PGH realizing its vision to become the "center of excellence and leadership in health care, training and research that creates an impact on health policies."
Don R. Paloyo, M.D.
President, Physician's Association
University of the Philippines
Philippine General Hospital
Taft Avenue, Manila
(Please forward to your friends and family. Reprinted, with minor
corrections, from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Letters to the Editor
section, Nov. 06, 2003.)
http://www.inq7.net/opi/2003/nov/06/letter_3-1.htm