Quirino Memorial Medical Center
August 15, 2009 was a significant date for the doctors, nurses, personnel and patients the Quirino Memorial Medical Center, now a modern-looking hospital with first-class facilities located in Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. It was their founding anniversary. Except for some greetings, it was business as usual though. After all, the hospital is always teeming with poor people who can’t afford hospital services in other institutions.
Formerly known as the Labor Hospital, QMMC was built and organized for the service of the indigents on August 15, 1953 during the tenure of the late Pres. ElpidioQuirino. Later, it was named as Quirino Memorial General Hospital on Aug 15, 1964 pursuant to PD 3975 then to Quirino Memorial Medical Center pursuant to EO 119.
It was the only government hospital of its kind in Quezon City when it was first established. Its beginning forty years ago can be traced from its name which bears identification with the working force as the major beneficiary of its medical services. Its primary purpose of reaching out to the sick and infirm was achieved in line with the late President ElpidioQuirino’s social amelioration program.
Today, the hospital has expanded to a 350-bed capacity medical center with an-increasing out-patient cases averaging to 400 daily. True to its objectives, the Quirino Memorial Medical Center, being a government-supported institution, is committed to serve all patients regardless of creed, color or socio-economic status.
But for those who have seen the Labor Hospital twenty years ago, they cannot help but notice how it has changed from a dilapidated, small government hospital that stinks even from the entrance, to the efficient, modern and clean health institution that it is today.
It all started with RA 8313, An Act upgrading the Quirino Memorial Medical Center. It’s principal author? Our friend Mike Defensor. It was his way of fulfilling his promise to the poor communities who trusted in him.
- Kay tamis ng ating samahan sa lungkot at kaligayahan. Tunay na kaibigan, kasamang maaasahan. Salamat at tayo'y may
pinagsamahan. Salamat, tunay kong kaibigan
(Salamat, by The Dawn)
Mike has always been dear to us since we were kids. He’s a good friend who came running when we needed him. Mike was the go-to guy even before he became Cong. Mike, and then Sec. Defensor. Many of us knew he was destined for public service. Mike was the consummate politician, a trait he developed since grade school. We thought he would go on to become president, if he didn’t disappoint the fickle Filipino public.But it seems he has. So much so that he is vilified by the media at every opportunity. His actions are always placed within the perspective of his relationship with an unpopular president. Justifiable, though harsh.
So we set up this blog. Some of us have worked with him and have seen him make what we thought were good decisions. But some of us were also there when we thought he made wrong ones. But that is how a man is made -- by the choices he makes.As his friends, the best we can do is stand by him and try to help everyone else see things from a different light.
On the campaign trail, the mayor running for re-election walks up to a house of his campaign adviser and rings the doorbell. When a small boy opens the door, the mayor introduces himself, “Hello there, little boy! What’s your name?”
“Little Johnny,” replies the small boy.
“Well, Little Johnny, I’m Mayor Hoffman. I’m running for re-election. Can I speak to your father?”
“He’s in the shower right now,” answers Little Johnny with a giggle.
“Oh! Well, is your mother in the house too?” asks Mayor Hoffman.
“Yes, she is. But she’s in the shower with my daddy,” replies Little Johnny with a snicker.
“Oh I see,” says Mayor Hoffman who pauses a moment thinking of what to say next. Then he smiles and says, “Little Johnny, can you go see if they are through now? I would like to speak to either one of them. It’s important.”
“I don’t think so,” replies Little Johnny with a big laugh.
Surprised to see the boy laughing heartily, the perplexed mayor demands, “What’s so funny, son? Is there something wrong with your parents?”
“Well, when my daddy asked for the Vaseline while they’re in the shower, I handed him the Super Glue.”
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9 comments:
haay bihira n lang ang mga politiko na ganyan!
in fairness, i have been there twenty years ago and it looked like a death chamber...
it looks modern now....
Kung tutuusin, magandang proyekto yan. Ano pa bang ibang ginawa ni Mike D.?
That is a very positive deviance from the almost insignificant mainstream projects of most politicians, such us waiting sheds, basketball courts, renaming of streets, etc. Good job!
Will he replicate this effort to other parts of the country? Or was it just a one-time project?
Bakit kaya kailangan pa ng espesyal na Republic Act para maayos ang ISANG ospital? Di ba, basic service yan, kagaya ng pagpagawa ng kalsada (na ginagawa,nasisira, at ginagawa uli, bawat eleksyon?)
It is a "positive deviance", indeed. Government projects in this country aim to have a direct impact to the constituents. Sadly, the direct impact that most politicans want is to primarily establish "name-recall". The Quirino Memorial Hospital is different. It's direct impact is what the poor Filipinos need.
If Quirino is already "modern" I shudder to think of what other government hospitals look like. I've been to to Quirino, and the place is so dilapidated, the equipment is lacking, the staff is discourteous and unprofessional. It's a lot cheaper than private hospitals; but then the service is really poor. My mom was confined thenre, and they did not have an available respirator. My dad and brother had to be the ones to pump air into my mother's lungs.
We can request street lightning to the whole stretch of g. araneta, delmonte ,sto domingo, dapitan and all quezon city areas. We need to repaint the concrete barriers of the g araneta creek. Let us put street reflectors and also make it clean and green campaign. The footbridge should be painted green in quezon city area.
We need more mmda to clean the esteros of g.araneta, delmonte creek and parkway riverside.
Lets start now before typhoon and global warming take place
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