The Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga is like a ghost town, according to Sen. Raffy Tulfo.
The Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga
Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, made the observation after visiting the hospital last Saturday, July 1, following complaints about the hospital’s poor service and handling of patients. He said he was dismayed to see the condition of the hospital.
He was accompanied by Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Undersecretary Hans Cacdac and Hospital Administrator Dr. Dante Dator.
Tulfo learned that the OFW hospital, which opened last May 1, 2022, has 100-bed capacity, and currently has 46 and 72 employed doctors and nurses, respectively. It has a total of 200 personnel, including laboratory staff and admin staff.
However, Tulfo found out that during the time of his visit, the hospital was only providing in-patient care to two people, one of which is an employee of the hospital and the other even came from a faraway province.
Tulfo also expressed dismay after finding out that that the hospital’s Outpatient Department is closed during Saturday and Sunday.
He was further angered upon learning from one of his staff who tried to get an appointment in the hospital’s online patient scheduling system that the next available slot for consultation is on Oct. 10.
This prompted him to immediately recommend to the hospital’s officials to fix their online portal immediately, stressing that the Outpatient Department should be opened even on weekends to accommodate more patients needing care and attention.
Among the other things that also caught Tulfo’s attention was the Pharmacy Department, which surprised him because it has no shelves or drawers while the medicines were only placed on trays on the table. He added that the supply of medicines were not complete, especially the important ones like antibiotics.
In his rounds of the different hospital departments, Tulfo noticed that the modern medical equipment of the facility appear unused.
Tulfo eventually lectured the leadership of the hospital to fix their system and work hard.
He also promised as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers that he will provide all-out support, particularly in funding and staffing, for the welfare of OFWs and their dependents.
Tulfo said he would return in the coming days to do a surprise follow-up visit in the hospital.