In his continuing effort to modernize the six public hospitals in Manila, Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada has started the renovation of the city-run Ospital ng Tondo to further improve medical services to thousands of residents of Districts 1 and 2.
Estrada on Sunday said the city government is also in the process of acquiring additional brand new medical equipment such as digital X-Ray and electrocardiogram machines so the 50-bed district hospital could accommodate more indigent patients.
“This hospital was built to provide free and comprehensive proper healthcare and we will continue improving its services and facilities for the well-being of poor Tondo residents,” Estrada said.
The four-story district hospital, located along Jose Abad Santos Street in Tondo, was last renovated in 2009, or eight years ago. Back then, it lacked even the basic medical equipment and facilities to serve the growing number of indigent patients.
When he assumed office in 2013, Estrada initiated a P500-million rehabilitation of all the six city-run hospitals and 59 community health centers, including the acquisition of a long line of state-of-the art hospital equipment and facilities.
One of the six hospitals, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital, has already been ISO-certified recently.
Dr. Isaias Cando, Jr. director of Ospital ng Tondo, said the P15-million renovation work is already on its third week; the entire four-storey building is being refurbished for the comfort and convenience of the patients and hospital personnel.
“Even the OR (operating room), delivery room, emergency room, they are presently being renovated. Plumbing, electrical, flooring, and all fire escapes, everything is being taken care of,” Cando said, estimating that the construction works will take about eight months to finish.
The hospital, however, remains in full operation so services will not be unnecessarily interrupted, Cando assured.
Furthermore, Cando said brand new equipment such as additional ECG and X-ray machines, blood chemistry/hematology machines, cardiac monitors, and surgical sets are also being procured on orders of Estrada.
“We’re striving to be a world-class public hospital that caters to all the needs of our patients,” Cando said. “Here, everything is free, wala pong nilalabas na pera ang pasyente, pati sa gamot. We have enough supply of everything,” Cando said.
As a Level 1 hospital, Ospital ng Tondo offers a wide range of medical services such as general medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, and ophthalmology, among others. It has different specialized clinics for diabetes, neurology, pulmonary, and gastroenterology, according to Cando.