UAE upgrades Samar provincial hospital

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, March 10 (PNA) -- The 100-bed capacity Samar provincial hospital got a major facelift after many years from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through donations to the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. 

The ceremonial turnover was held on Friday at the public plaza graced by Hamad Saeed Hamad Obaid Alzaabi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipontentiary of UAE to the Republic of the Philippines; Dr. Mohamed Ateeq Sultan Zayed Alfalahi, Secretary General of the Red Crescent Authority, UAE; and Fahad Abdelrahman Yousif Ali Binsultan, Deputy Secretary General for International Aid.

Also present were Vice Governor James Tan, board members from the two congressional districts of Samar and officials of the hospital led by Dr. Maribel Pedrigal.

During the short program, Tan thanked the people of UAE and the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement for undertaking the major repairs of the hospital and for donating new equipment.

“Although Catbalogan City, where the hospital is located, was not damaged by super typhoon Yolanda, still the UAE committed to improve the conditions of the hospital. The UAE also built new school buildings and a gymnasium in Basey town,” Tan said.

According to Pedrigal, some of the equipment donated to the hospital are anesthesia machine, patient monitor, hydraulic operating table incubator with photo therapy and infant warmer, and ultrasound machine, among others.

The hospital also got 100 new adult beds, 20 high-rail children’s beds, orthopedics beds, and emergency transferring and hydraulic stretchers.

The UAE government also repainted the new and old hospital building. The donors did not disclose the cost of repair.

The biggest hospital in Samar province has 27 doctors and 180 regular and job-order staff, including nurses.

“With all these support, patients will get the best service and care. We will support the administration of Governor Sharee Tan-de los Santos in reaching the goal of improved health care in the province,” Pedrigal said.

Pedrigal added that the hospital will operate its own blood collecting department. The Department of Health (DOH) provided PHP6 million for the facility.

This year, the province will start constructing its new four-storey 300-bed capacity hospital. It received a seed fund of PHP150 million from DOH. (PNA)
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