Four doctors and two staff of Negros Occidental provincial government hospitals are under investigation, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, May 25.
They are under investigation following complaints lodged by private complainants with the Department of Health, Diaz said.
The complaints are not all patient and malpractice related, there are some involving corrupt practices such as selling of medicines in hospitals, he said.
Diaz said the One Hospital Command Center will remain even with the drop of COVID-19 cases for the efficient admission of patients at the government-run hospitals, and to address problems of overcrowding.
Under the system, guidance is provided on which hospitals patients should be brought to, he said.
The One Hospital Command Center is also a monitoring system to determine which hospitals are performing, and those that are just passing on patients, he said.
“The other hospitals have to do their jobs…we are now trying to instill responsibility and accountability in all of our health care workers, including our chiefs of hospitals,” Diaz said.
“I know the chief of hospitals who keep on referring patients to other hospitals… and those who do not report for work,” he said, adding that sanctions will be imposed.
Some of them should not even be in the health care business because they do not show any kind of empathy towards their patients, he said.
“A lot of things have to be done in order to improve our hospital care and operations,” Diaz said.
Meanwhile, the provincial government is buying six more ambulances to beef up its emergency response under its 911 system, he said.
The provincial government is also allocating funds for the repair of leaking roofs at its hospitals, the Negrense Residences, Negros Occidental Multi-Purpose Activity Center and the food terminal that were affected by Typhoon “Odette”, he added.*