GBTRGHSC advances in governance pathway for infectious disease management in Region 8

Press Release
October 17, 2024

MAKATI CITY – Amid the schistosomiasis endemic and high incidence in Region 8, the Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital and Schistosomiasis Center (GBTRGHSC), formerly Schistosomiasis Hospital, has enhanced its infrastructure and empowered health workers to combat the disease.

During a public revalida with the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), GBTRGHSC achieved the Initiated Status on October 15 under ISA’s governance framework, the Performance Governance System (PGS).

The Public Revalida is a democratic exercise that validates a public institution's completion of the four stages of the PGS. Enrolled institutions include the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of Health (DOH), among others.

Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease, was first noted in the country in 1906 among New Bilibid Prison inmates hailing from Samar and Leyte. Over the years, efforts to manage the disease have evolved, leading to the establishment of the GBTRGHSC, which now aims to be a 500-bed Level 3 hospital with Basic Comprehensive Capability for Infectious Diseases and End Referral for Schistosomiasis through the governance framework.

GBTRGHSC Medical Center Chief, Dr. Lyn L. Verona, highlighted the hospital's achievements so far, including the launch of several infrastructure projects such as the new outpatient department building and fully-equipped operating rooms.

“Additional infrastructures are also ongoing to provide expanded services such as the hemodialysis unit, the CT scan, the endoscopy unit, and the 2D echocardiography unit and the spirometry area,” Dr. Verona added.

With approximately 775 cases of schistosomiasis recorded in 2023, the hospital has actively recruited physicians, nurses, and healthcare personnel to manage the growing number of patients, both in-hospital and through the GBTRGHSC on Wheels Kalusugan Caravan, in partnership with Tingog Party List.

“Our training programs have also made significant progress, with the accreditation of a residency training program in Traditional Family and Community Medicine," Dr. Verona said.

Given the region's agricultural nature, there remains a growing need to educate the public about schistosomiasis and its management, prompting the hospital to conduct community lectures, which have now gained recognition from a regional health body.

“Our Public Health Unit has led multiple lectures and activities both within the hospital and across communities, earning the Best Public Health Unit award from the Department of Health Eastern Visayas CHD on September 3, 2024," Dr. Verona said.

The revalida panel was chaired by Ms. Mary Jane Ortega, former Mayor of San Fernando, La Union, and ISA Fellow, with Dr. Enrique Tayag of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases serving as vice-chair.