Governor wants mayors to review OHC system

 

With reports of fatal delays plaguing the One Hospital Command (OHC) referral system, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has instructed municipal leaders to develop a unified position on the centralized healthcare initiative.

Negros Association of Chief Executives (Negros ACE) President Salvador Escalante, who also serves as Cadiz City mayor, confirmed the directive on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

The governor raised the issue during the group’s recent Christmas gathering, asking mayors to conduct their own evaluations and put forward suggestions for fixing the system.

Launched to simplify patient transfers and boost emergency care, the OHC has faced growing criticism over long waits that have proven deadly.

“Patients are left waiting in tricycles and ambulances for hours until their referrals are approved – and some have not survived that wait,” Escalante said.

The governor has called for a full review of the program to address the bottlenecks.

While recognizing the OHC’s potential benefits, Escalante stressed it “requires significant fine-tuning” to work effectively for Negros residents.

In a separate move to ease local access to care, Cadiz City is building a new 50-bed hospital set to open next year.* (EYA)