Lahug barangay captain deplores mayor’s order to transfer health center

Posted November 25, 2009 08:44:00

Fe Marie D. Dumaboc

Cebu Daily News

Lahug’s barangay health center is moving out.

On orders of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, the city-run public health unit is being transferred out of the barangay hall of Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann delos Santos because it “duplicates” a clinic run by her administration on the second floor and is badly in need of repair.

Caught by surprise, delos Santos, a key leader in the political opposition, said revenge may be behind the move.

She said she didn't receive any prior notice about the change from the City Health Office.

The health center will be transfered to the compound of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) in another part of Lahug near the boundary of barangay Luz.

The new health center will be operational by Dec. 1.

Lahug, the biggest barangay in the north district has a population of about 36,800. The barangay health center was first put up in 1998. It was run by a physician, two nurses, a dentist, two midwives and 11 barangay health workers

City Health Office representatives visited Delos Santos yesterday to tell her about the transfer of the health center, which their boss said was badly in need of repair.

Dr. Luz Flora, supervisor of the city Medical Health Unit, was accompanied by Dr. Raymund Ogan, two nurses, a dentist and a midwife, about 10 a.m. at her office.

Flora thanked the barangay captain for accommodating them in the barangay hall and said she was merely following orders of City Health Officer, Dr. Fe Cabugao and Dr. Christopher Alix, City Council committee chairman on health.

“We assure you that the service we had will still be the same. Only the location will change. If there’s any program, we’ll still come here,”said Yap.

She said they were acting on “a verbal order from the higher office.”

“Kay magtulo-tulo man gud ang atop, ma-slide nya ang mga patients (because if the roof keeps leaking, the patients may slide on the water and get hurt),” she added.

Delos Santos questioned the reason behind the transfer of the barangay health center since the barangay hall’s central location was easier for Lahug residents.

“Pagastoon pa ninyo ako mga tawo? Paplitehon pa ninyo? (You’ll let the people spend for transportation fare to get there?) They are innocent. Is it because they are the residents of Lahug and that Mary Ann Delos Santos is the captain?” she asked.

Resident Mellinda Antipala, 47, agreed that having the health center in the barangay hall was more convenient.

But Yap said she was merely following orders.

Delos Santos said she believed politics was behind the transfer. She said she hasn’t received any written order from the City Health Office about it.

In a separate interview, City Health Officer Cabugao said health workers did the respectful thing.

“They went to inform her as a courtesy. Kabalo naman na siya bah nga daghang reklamo sa health center wa lang sad niya gi-atiman kay di daw iyang building (She knows there have been many complaints about the health center but that she didn’t do anything about it because she doesn't own the building),” Cabugao told reporters.

She was referring to the leaking roof and busted toilet of the health center. The floor was wet because of water dripping from the roof due to the rain when reporters visited yesterday.

The roof has been leaking since 2000, said one health worker, who refused to give his name to CEBU DAILY NEWS.

Ogan confirmed the malfunctioning toilet and need for building repairs.

“Nagbanaw, nagbaha. The toilet doesn’t flush. It needs repair. Di na safe sa mga patients. We have no instructions about when we would return here. We are waiting for the order,” hesaid.

Delos Santos denied that she was neglecting the barangay health center.

“We acknowledge the leaking. That is why we have a program of works and estimates worth P1.2 million made by our barangay engineer. Funding is never easy if it is solely barangay funds. That is why it takes time. Water and light is paid by barangay funds without fail every month. We have receipts to support our stand for water and light,” Delos Santos told CDN.

At City Hall, Mayor Osmeña, said Delos Santos was just turning the transfer of the health center into a political issue.

“Why should she be complaining about that? She said she doesn't need Cebu City. She's providing services. We are just pulling them out of the area. She has her own health service, health card, so why should she need my service because she's using her presence there for politics?” the mayor said.

“Why is she complaining? You want me to show her letter made last election (2007), saying that I did nothing for Lahug?” Osmeña told reporters.

Delos Santos said her barangay doesn't have a gasoline allocation for their garbage trucks or a subsidy from City Hall for garbage collectors. The policemen assigned in barangay Lahug had long been removed.

Osmeña said the old barangay health center was just duplicating the out-patient clinic on the second floor of the barangay hall.

Transferring the city’s health center to the Tesda compound would serve more residents from other barangays like Luz.

The new health center in Tesda will have more services. Plans include six portable clinics there donated by the International Police, which were used during the extraction of DNA samples for the Princess of the Stars sinking.

“It will be accessible for everybody and we can expand our service to other barangays,” the mayor explained.

“We are very strong now in health services, and not only relying on CCMC (Cebu City Medical Center). We are reducing the load of CCMC by not allowing provincial patients,” he added.

Meanwhile, Delos Santos assured Lahug residents, especially the poor, that medical needs would be attended to by the barangay’s out-patient clinic program.

The clinic has three doctors funded by Delos Santo’s family and are available every Wednesday afternoon, Thursday morning and Friday morning.

The out-patient clinic was put up to reinforce services of the barangay health center

“We are just there to collaborate not to replace the health center. We solve the inadequate services of the health center,” said Delos Santos.

She said the barangay would sustain its medical check up, weight monitoring of under- and malnourished children, and regular feedings.

“For immunization, we cannot do it because vaccine are supplied by DOH through City health,” she said.

The out-patient clinic started in May 2008. It offers free medical check-up, and services of doctors specializing in family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine and nuclear medicine.

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