BRINGING HEALTHIER HOPE FOR BOHOL. Dialysis patients in Bohol, particularly in the northern area of the province, may now opt to get their treatment at the Garcia Memorial Provincial Hospital (GMPH) in Talibon town. This comes as the provincial government opens a new dialysis center hosted by the said hospital. The new dialysis center was inaugurated yesterday, Aug. 21, 2021. In photo are Dr. Miguelito Jayoma (left, standing) chief of hospital of GMPH, in a discussion with Gov. Arthur Yap (center, seated) as a patient (right) gets a dialysis treatment in the new center. Photo courtesy of PRIMER
The provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) officially opened its first dialysis center, outside of Tagbilaran City, specifically at the Garcia Memorial Provincial Hospital (GMPH) in Talibon on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021.
According to a report by the Provincial Information and Media Relations (PRIMER) office, the dialysis center is a 12-seat treatment center that can cater up to 24 patients a day.
The new dialysis center is already a Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) accredited facility. With this accreditation, it means that Philhealth members can use the facility and let the state health insurance provider shoulder a part of the treatment cost.
Gov. Arthur Yap graced the opening of the dialysis center together with Provincial Health Office officer-in-charge Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez, Dr. Miguelito Jayoma, the chief of Hospital of GMPH, Mayor Janette Garcia of Talibon, Board Member Elpidio Bonita, Board Member Restituto Auxtero, Board Member Vierna Mae Boniel-Maglasang and Board Member Frans Gelaine Garcia-Devenosa.
The construction of the dialysis center is one of the priority projects of the Yap administration as part of the “Care for the Weak” development pillar, the report from the PRIMER says,
In July 2019, as Yap took over the reigns of the provincial government, the governor spoke to the members of the media and informed the them of the leading causes of death among Boholanos.
He cited that renal failure, kidney disease and organ failure top the list together with heart and lung disease including pneumonia.
During the said engagement, he shared with the media, that most of the patients of the government dialysis centers in Cebu are Boholanos, and this is due to the limited dialysis center seats in Bohol – seats that are situated in Tagbilaran City.
Thus, Boholanos from the northern part of the province have endured the 2 to 3-hour travel just to get themselves treated, adding to the burden of the cost for the treatment itself.
Moreover, Yap is not comfortable with the old statement saying that dialysis patients in Cebu are mostly Boholanos due to heavy influx of patients from Bohol..
During the opening of the new dialysis ce hanter in yesterday’s activities, Yap in his speech said, “Today (Aug 21, 2021), with the opening of this dialysis center, we are bringing hope to our patients and another chance to fight for life. Dili mahimo nga ang mga baskog lang atong atimanon, Mas nag kinahanglan sa pag-atiman ang atong mga kaigsuonan nga adunay sakit ug angayan nga hatagan sila sa ilang gikinahanglang suporta aron magpadayon sa pagpakabuhi.”
He added by saying, “Kung sauna daghan sa atong mga pasyente ang moadto pa sa Cebu aron magpa dialysis, ang kagamhanang probinsyal naningkamot nga dili na moadto pa sa halayo [nga dapit] ang atong mga pasyente ug aron nga dili na sila madak-an pa ug gasto, maong atong gipatukod nato kining bag-ong dialysis center alang kanila. Dili si Art Yap ang tag-iya niini. Ang mga katawhan sa Bohol ang naghatag niining edipisyo aron makatabang sa atong mga pasyente. Igo lang ko nga nagfacilitate niini, kauban ang Sangguniang Panlalawigan, pinanguluhanni ni Vice Governor Relampagos, aron matuman ang maong damgo.”
The governor also shared the information that another dialysis center is being constructed in Carmen and a similar dialysis center will follow in each of the towns of Jagna and Loon.
Yap also quipped: “We are also constructing a dialysis center in Carmen Hospital. Galagar Hospital in Jagna and Natalio Castillo Hospital in Loon will also have their [respective] dialysis centers soon.”
The governor asserts: “Long before COVID-19 struck us, health has already been a priority in our administration. That is why there is the HEART Program in the Province because the “H” stands for Health. We also took a leap in modernizing our 10 province-owned hospitals. Our focus has already been set to give our fellow Boholanos access to health care services.”
He added: “Nahitabo lang nga naabtan ta sa pandemya mao nga medyo na delay ug gamay ang implementation sa atong mga programa tungod sa COVID-19. Dili man pud pwede nga dili nato hatagan ug pagtagad ang pag responde sa pandemya. Apan, wala pud na nagpasabot nga atong gitalikdan ang priorities nga atong na-identify. Mao nga nakabaton kita ug bag-ong dialysis center karon dinhi sa Talibon kay atong gipadayon ang paghatod sa batakang panginahanglan sa katawhan.”
Furthermore, the governor said: “Philhealth accredited ang atong dialysis center. Mao nga dako ang ma-save nga gastos ang atong mga pasyente. Mangita pud ta ug pamaagi nga makabutang kita ug AICS [Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations] fund dinhi sa hospital aron matabangan ang atong mga indigents sa ilang treatment.”
For her part, Mayor Janette Aurestilla-Garcia of Talibon thanked Yap for the new dialysis center situated in her town.
She said, “Magpasalamat gyud ko nimu Governor Yap kay ang dialysis center nga imung gipatukod dinhi sa Talibon, dako kaayo ug tabang sa katawhang Talibongnon ug mga kasikbit nga lungsod. Mao kini ang katumanan sa among damgo sa dugay na nga panahon.”
PUSH FOR AGRICULTURE
The Yap administration is pushing for agriculture, apart from health, as a means to drive the economy of the province largely dependent on the services sector driven by tourism.
Tourism is currently in the doldrums because of the pandemic, which made it difficult for tourists to visit tourist destinations such as Bohol.
In a post by Provincial Agriculturist Liza Quirog, she recognized the efforts of corn farmers of Bohol who are part of the ART 100 program.
She described the farmers under the said program as heroes as she said, “Mga heroes sa Bohol nga gipasalamatan ni Gov Art Yap sa ilang mga sakripisyo alang sa mga Bol-anon ining panahon sa pandemic. Uwan ug init nagsuroy sa kabukiran aron ilang maabtan ang mga Bol-anon nga kugihan.”
In another post, Quirog spoke highly of the farmers under the ART 120 and ART. 160 program.
In her post, she wrote, “Kini sila ang mga heroes sa Bohol. Kini sila ang mga tawo nga gipasalamatan ni Gov Art Yap tungod sa ilang kakugi taliwa sa pandemic, aron moabot sa mga mag uuma sa kasuokan sa Bohol ang Rice program nga ART 160 ug ART 120 aron modaghan ang ilang abot ug kita sa pagpananum ug humay.”
IN DEFENSE OF THE PGBh
in a radio interview on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021, over Open Forum program, hosted by Ardy Araneta-Batoy and Dave Albarado, Quirog defended the provincial government from negative criticisms hurled by a certain researcher.
She reacted to the comment of the researcher who said that the provincial government has no back-up plans and the province’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism.
Quirog reacted to the criticism that Bohol lacks a strategic economic plan.
“If you are really researching truly, you will know nga originally diha tay 2 ka economic drivers mentioned in our vision, which is the anchor of all anchors of any organization kung mo-determine ka ug strategy nimu for development and these are tourism (tungod kay makaingon ta nga Bohol is a prime eco-cultural tourism destination); unya naay sumpay niana, nga kita agro-industrial province,” she explained during the interview.
She said Bohol added information and communications technology as another economic driver in 2013.
“Kung muingon ka kon naa bay economic strategy [ang Bohol] naa man. So, why would a researcher say nga wala ta and it’s not even a back-up plan; that is the main plan and that is what we are doing now,” she quipped.
Quirog added that the comments of the researcher are totally wrong as he (the researcher) makes it appear that the provincial government is not doing its job in responding to the impact of the pandemic.
Quirog said that the comments put the provincial government in a bad light. Quirog added that the focus today is on agriculture as tourism is non-performing due to travel restrictions.
She also pointed out that the present provincial administration gave attention to the tourism frontliners to help the industry get back on its feet soon.
Quirog said that it is not right to say that the provincial government is just making a list of random things and not making any plans for the economy.