Abby Binay orders repair of Makati City hospital

MANILA, Philippines - Makati Mayor Mar-Len Abigail “Abby” Binay has ordered the immediate repair of the hospital’s air-conditioning units and other facilities.

According to Binay, during the one-year tenure of acting city Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña Jr., the city-run hospital has been hounded by persistent complaints from patients, among them the shortage of medicine, non-functioning air-conditioning system, and poorly equipped laboratories

“I cannot understand why there is a shortage of medicine here in the hospital. I am aware that there are biddings taking place (during the previous administration) as these are posted on the internet,” Binay said in a meeting with hospital officials.

Binay also ordered the city’s General Services Department (GSD) to address the shortage of medicine at the Ospital ng Makati (Osmak).

Osmak director Dr. Bernard Sese, said they were informed by previous GSD officials that most biddings conducted for medicine and laboratory reagents failed but the said officials did not say the reasons behind it.

Binay said prior to Peña’s assumption to office, Osmak did not experience shortage of medicine and hospital supplies, and the facilities were well-maintained.

The mayor directed Osmak officials to review all pending purchase orders as well as those which failed in the bidding phase, and to prioritize what are essentially needed by the hospital.

Binay made clear that she wants to see changes in the services of the hospital happen in three month’s time.

“The health of our constituents is still the city’s top priority. I will see to it that the immediate concerns will be addressed promptly so we can deliver the best health services to our constituents,” Binay said in a statement.

Earlier, Binay instructed all heads of departments and offices to submit a complete list of personnel, including their respective positions, duties and functions.

The mayor also ordered the immediate recall of all detailed personnel to their mother units to facilitate the rationalization process aimed to promote greater professionalism and competence in the city workforce.