kaban galing - front cover - galing pook

16 NEGROS ORIENTAL
Healing the Health Care System
Inter-LGU-NGO Partnership in the Delivery of Health Services
HEALTH care delivery was formerly a responsibility of the Department
of Health (DOH). That responsibility was devolved to the local
governments in 1991. This meant that provincial and district hospitals
would henceforth be run and funded by the provincial government; city
health offices, rural health units and barangay health stations by their
respective municipalities, cities and barangays. Hence, from a
centralized and integrated system, hospital and public health care
management became chaotic as local governments struggled with the
new challenge.
Devolution Blues
Devolution caused a major setback. Health services virtually
disintegrated as provincial governments became overburdened by the
budget for hospital operations which was cut down to 52% and later by
as much as 87%. Since they were technically unprepared to manage
devolved health services, local public health services deteriorated. The
relationship between hospitals and public health services was also
severed. And there were glaring disparities between retained and
devolved health personnel. Local chief executives found themselves
taking on the responsibilities of health service and economic enterprise
managers instead of just public administrators.
The province of Negros Oriental set out to fix the problem by aiming
to:
a. Improve organization and management;
b. Provide adequate budget for health services;
c. Improve hospital facilities and equipment; and
d. Augment and develop the human resource.
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