CLARK FREEPORT – A memorandum of agreement (MOA) is now being finalized between the Pampanga Provincial Government and The Medical City Clark (TMC-C) for the use of its hospital facilities for the health care of Kapampangans.
During the launching of the Burn Unit of TMC-C here last Friday, Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda said the Capitol will work out a MOA with the management of TMC-C for the health care Kapampangans especially those endorsed by the provincial government.
Dr. Cenon R. Alfonso, TMC-C CEO, said the hospital management has already prepared proposal and all it needs is the final approval of the TMC-C Board before it is presented to the provincial government.
Pineda, who keynoted the event, said the MOA should still be in effect even when she is no longer governor because health care should be continuing as she personally assured the management of TMC Clark that the provincial government has more than enough funds for its health services.
The governor said most often, patients that can no longer be treated at the Jose B. Lingad Regional Hospital (JBLRH) in the City of San Fernando are forced to go to Manila hospitals and endure the horrible traffic in going there.
She narrated how a patient died in an ambulance which got caught in traffic along EDSA.
“Keysa dalhin sa Maynila, mag-MOA na lang tayo at dito na tayo sa Medical City Clark (Instead of bring patients to Manila, let’s get into a MOA here with Medical City Clark),” said Pineda.
With TMC Clark, Pineda said Kapampangan patients are given a much better choice. “That is why TMC is very important,” she said.
However, Pineda urged TMC-C management to extend to indigent patients “government price” since the provincial government will shoulder their medical expenses.
“Yung hindi naman presyong pang-mayaman o locator (One that is not priced for the wealthy or for (Clark) locators),” she said.
“I can assure the TMC of enough funds for health care,” the governor said. She also commended the Burn Unit as part of a “good preparation.”
Alfonso said at TMC-C “our tagline is our brand where patients are partners. That’s our culture because our brand is our culture.”
Alfonso reiterated that the “iconic practice of medicine is now forgotten because we now enter into an era of the practice… without members of the team working together we will not achieve the desired goal and objective.”
The TMC-C Burn Unit is the region’s first and only specialized surgical facility designed to provide comprehensive and multi-disciplinary care for victims of burn injuries and is only the fifth health institution in the country to have a dedicated burn facility.
The Burn Unit also has a burn mass casualty incident (MCI) plan in place. According to Dr. Carlos Primero D. Gundran, in case of a disaster scenario wherein there will be mass casualty involving burn victims, TMC-C Burn Unit is ready to respond with its MCI protocol.
Gundran is the chief of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Multi-Disciplinary Burn Team of TMC-C.
Meanwhile, Alfonso said putting up their own system does not ensure that this region will have zero casualties.
“Without the team, starting from off-hospital to in-hospital to post-hospital care… without our partners from outside… we won’t be able to achieve our goal.”
Pineda said with the operation of a new and modern hospital equipped with the latest high-tech facilities, investors and locators can now have a peace of mind and now even ordinary Kapampangans can be part of the hospital.
“Malaking tulong ito hindi lang sa Clark kundi buong Central Luzon (This is a big help not only for Clark but to the entire region as well),” she said.
