• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Girlie Pinongan yesterday defended the implementation of the One Hospital Command system, stressing that it is one of the best practices of the Negros Occidental provincial government, which is being duplicated by other provinces.
Formed as part of the province’s Digitizing Health and Emergency Management initiative, the OHC system serves as the center of communications between referrals from one hospital to another. It aims to deliver efficient health services, effectively manage health services, resources and manpower, and operationalize the patient referral system, as required by the Universal Health Care Act.
During assessment of SGLG (Seal of Good Local Governance) awards, Pinongan said “it is one of our strengths, being among the best practices implemented by the provincial government of Negros Occidental.”
The Department of Interior and Local Government identified the provincial government of Negros Occidental as among the recipients of Seal of Good Local Governance for calendar year 2024.
On Tuesday, former Victorias City Mayor Francis Frederick Palanca, who is challenging the reelection bid of incumbent Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson in the May 2025 elections, described the One Hospital Command system as “anti-poor,” which was only applicable during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Palanca claimed that many died because they cannot be immediately accommodated in government hospitals, as they have to wait for referrals from the OHC system to determine which government hospitals can accept them.
Expressing his support to the call of Palanca for the scrapping of the OHC system, former Hinobaan Mayor Ernesto Estrao, who is vying for the sixth district congressional seat, described the system as “detrimental and chaos to the poor.”
Pinongan said they are now crafting the referral manual for Negros Occidental, as a requirement for the Universal Health Care system implementation, in tandem with city and municipal health offices of various local government units, hospital chiefs and even with disaster risk reduction management councils.
At the same time, Pinongan added that they will also meet with the local chief executives to brief them on the referral manual.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said earlier that the One Hospital Command system simplifies the process of providing Negrenses with rescue and medical interventions in times of emergency.*
