While the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital is wallowing in an overpriced P11.5-million generator scandal that has paralyzed its operation during blackouts, the medical facility is also plagued with mountains of toxic medical wastes its stockpile threatening to spill over the building’s fence. As a consequence of its blatant irresponsibility and inaction, the hospital has now earned a shameful title as the “Dirtiest Hospital in the World” following an online photo of its disgusting waste goes viral on social media websites. Netcitizens, particularly Boholanos living abroad who have seen the shocking portray of a hospital which is supposed to be a role model of everything clean and hygienic, have condemned the hospital management for putting Bohol in bad light. “Mag-unsa man nang atong reputation nga top tourism destination nga ang mga basura hugaw kaayo ug peligro sa panglawas sa mga katawhan,” said one Facebook member.

The tragic fate of the Gallares hospital all started when Dr. Nenita Moraga-Po, its chief who is also facing corruption charges before the Office of the Ombudsman, dug a hole three years ago in front of the hospital main building and started dumping tons of toxic medical waste right along M. Parras Street, one of the city’s major thoroughfares. In the early years, the garbage was not noticeable by the public eye. But today, the toxic waste has become so conspicuous – it is hard to ignore it, hospital sources said. Despite public demand for Po to address the garbage problem, the hospital chief continues to ignore the clear and present danger to public health. According to several hospital insiders, the toxic garbage has attracted giant worms and rats and encouraged thousands of flies to swarm in and out of hospital buildings round the clock. “This is the worst hospital I’ve come across in my whole life,” a doctor who refused to be named said.

CAPITOL NO POWER OVER GALLARES HOSPITAL

On Friday during the radio program “Kita ug ang Gobernador,” First District Board Member Lopez Cesar Tomas M. Lopez, chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s committee on health, admitted that the SP can only recommend good measures to the hospital but it has no power to impose sanctions on GCGMH since the hospital is under the direct supervision of the Department of Health (DOH). But according to hospital sources, there are observers in the hospital who have been waiting for Lopez to deliver a privilege speech on the issue of GCGMH’s toxic waste which is recklessly dumped in front of its main building. At City Hall, the City Council’s chairperson on health has not also got involved in the toxic garbage issue, fueling speculations that some city lawmakers “do not really care about Tagbilaran.”

Earlier, City Mayor Baba Yap had called on the attention of Po regarding the unmanaged toxic medical waste. All city-based hospitals were summoned to appear in a meeting and it was found out that only GCGMH is not compliant with existing environmental laws. Attempts of Yap and City Administrator Edi Borja to negotiate the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the latter to give waiver to GCGMH so it can dispose its toxic waste at Dampas Open Dumpsite failed after the DENR had categorically rejected options for Gallares Hospital to use the Dampas Dumpsite. “Disposing toxic waste is a look-out of the Gallares Hospital,” Borja had said. “City Hall has no power over Gallares Hospital.” Yap had written a letter to DOH Sec. Enrique Ona, seeking the Cabinet member’s intervention into the stinking problem. Meanwhile, Gov. Edgar M. Chatto has called on Po to address the problem by complying with existing laws. The Provincial Government of Bohol is managing 10 hospitals all over the province and all these hospitals are compliant with environmental laws on disposing toxic wastes.

TOURISM IMAGE OF BOHOL HURT BY GARBAGE

Thousands of netcitizens have expressed shock and dismay over photos of toxic wastes piling up in front of Gallares Hospital. The shocking photos are now circulating on social media websites, particularly Facebook.com, and have generated thousands of comments from Boholanos abroad, all condemning the management of Dr. Po. “It's the worst hospital I've come across. In the maternity unit 2 patients share one bed regardless of the patient's condition. So my friend who just had a Caesarian birth shared her bed with a patient who had ovarian infection,” said Paz Turner, who did not spare other issues brewing in the said hospital. “Ngil-ad sa tourism image sa province ning kabaho ug kahugaw sa Gallares Hospital,” another Facebook member said. "Nakakahiya ito sa madlang people cno ang director aning hospitala napakasalaola nakaka suka dako nga kuarta iyang nakurakot dapat ayosin niya ang pagdumala nito," said Vars Ricafort Shinohara.

GROWING FEAR

Random interviews among patients in the Gallares Hospital showed that there is a growing fear among patients saying seeking treatment at GCGMH is tantamount to courting sickness and disease. “Grabe na gyud na kabaho ang hospital pagsulod pa lang nimo sa gate,” said a patient from Maribojoc town. The patient said that even at nighttime flies never stop swarming at hospital rooms and at hallways. “Kanang sin (g.i. sheets) nga gitabon sa mga basura dili man na makapugong sa kagaw nga motapot namo nga mga pasyente,” said another patient from Baclayon town. “Karon pa gyud ko makaagi ug hospital nga labihang kahugawan.” Several patients have said that they are planning to move out of Gallares Hospital, fearing that the toxic garbage would eventually kill them.

SOLUTION

One of the thousands of Facebook members who commented on the garbage scandal is Ulysses Felisan Cagande. He posted the following message: My Fellow Boholanos, let’s do what the CEBUANOS did to their HOSPITAL WASTE...I had visited GALLARES HOSPITAL last april just for the purpose of helping my SANO and SANA who is complaining the STINKY ODOR of the HOSPITAL WASTE...OUR COMPANY, POLLUTION ABATEMENT SYSTEM SPECIALISTS, INC., (PASSI) are the one collecting the HOSPITAL WASTE of BIG HOSPITALS here in CEBU CITY and in the PROVINCE, that is why our, and no other than our PASSI PRESIDENT, ENGR. LITO POGOY visited personally BOHOL HOSPITALS and BIRTHING CLINICS just for the purposes of submitting our company profile and our proposal to collect and disinfect before it will be damp at DENR PERMITTED DUMP-SITES here in CEBU and in the future in BOHOL.”