Laws and advances have been made toward the improvement of healthcare in the Philippines but many issues that need to be addressed still remain in order to genuinely achieve a high quality and cost efficient healthcare system, especially for government-owned hospitals.
Topping the list of problems that plague public hospitals are the shortage of doctors, specialists and nurses; insufficient medical equipment and supplies; and the lack of hospital beds amid the high influx of patients, among others, which all point to the lack of funds to raise salaries, purchase necessities and expand facilities.
Thankfully, despite this vicious cycle of problems in public healthcare, there likewise remains a noble number of medical professionals who truly live out their Hippocratic Oath to treat the sick, especially the underprivileged, and do their best to make them well amid a wanting environment.
The Sunday Times Magazine had the privilege of meeting and witnessing one such physician at work all the way in Olongapo City at the local government’s James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital. For there, Dr. Jesse Jewel Manuel as Chief of Hospital leads inspiringly and by example in living out their slogan of “service, compassion and excellence” despite the odds.
Dutiful son
Dr. Manuel took up BS Medical Technology for pre-med at the Far Eastern University (FEU)-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, graduating in 1986. He went straight to medical school still at FEU and proceeded with his internship at the former George Dewey Hospital in Olongapo back when it was still a US Naval Facility.
example and guided daily by James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital’s slogan of ‘service, compassion and excellence.’
Finally graduating in 1991, he immediately passed the board and became a resident doctor at the Philippine Orthopedic Center.
Traversing the tough and lengthy road toward becoming a medical doctor with neither a break nor hitch, Dr. Manuel’s first words to The Sunday Times Magazine came quite a surprise.
“My first ambition was to become a lawyer,” he confessed. “However, ang father ko kasi is a frustrated doctor. He came from a poor family in Guagua, Pampanga, while my mother was also the daughter of a poor family in Zambales.
“Because of financial constraints, my father needed to work right away because he is second in a brood of nine. He opted to take education for two years just so he could support the family.”
The Manuels eventually became Olongapo locals since it was here their father and mother met while working for the US Navy.
“Doon sila nagkita and after they retired, they put up small business na medyo sinwerte naman ng konti. Then my father influenced all of us, his three children, to become doctors and realize his dream. The eldest one, my ate is a doctor in the US, then it’s me, and our youngest is now working in southern Manila as a cardiologist. I was the only one who decided to come back to Olongapo.”
Serendipity
According to the 53-year-old medical practitioner, he only really planned to practice his specialty as an orthopedic surgeon at James L. Gordon among a few hospitals as doctors often do, but fate stepped in sometime in 2013.
With Manuel’s reputation as a kind and conscientious doctor, well-liked and respected by colleagues, staff and patients alike, Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino singled him out to become Hospital Administrator that year.
“I really wanted to go back to my roots at the very least practice as a surgeon here, but baka serendipity na din. I had been practicing here since 1998 after completing my residency program and my appointment as hospital administrator only came 15 years later. Then when Dr. Arturo Mendoza retired as Chief of Hospital, the mayor asked me to assume his position and I accepted to take over,” he narrated.
Going further back, Manuel informed The Sunday Times Magazine that it was then-mayor and now Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon who started the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital in 1996, naming it after his father. Left behind by the US Navy, the facility became a government unit-sponsored hospital with 305 bed-capacity, and a fully equipped laboratory, radiology department and operating room. It even had a drug testing center at that time, thereby earning James L. Gordon the distinction as the very first LGU hospital such capability in the Philippines.
Under Dr. Manuel’s watch, he tries his very best to keep the hospital as accessible and efficient as before given the limitations of the public healthcare system.
“In fact, besides being a tertiary hospital, this is also a Level 3 hospital,” he proudly noted. “Now what does that mean? A Level 3 means it is a teaching hospital where doctors are trained to become specialists. And yes, we continue to train local and foreign doctors in four major departments, namely Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Obstetrics, and Gynecology.
“Modesty aside, we have an excellent program here with most of graduates easily passing the board exams—minsan nag-to-top pa. I myself was also part of the training program committee here and I continue to teach especially when I do surgeries,” he continued. “And we’re actually planning to put up a training program for Anesthesia kasi marami na kami ditong mga anesthesiologists so kasama na yun sa pipeline namin as well as orthopedics.”
Dr. Manuel’s work is therefore proof that so long as government hospitals strive to make the best out of allocated funds and properly prioritize, it can rise above the dreary state that most other institutions allow themselves to deteriorate.
‘Obligated to all’
True to every line of his Hippocratic oath, which holds doctors to “special obligations to all my fellow human beings,” he is happy to share that their patients come from outside Olongapo as well.
“This hospital has been an ISO-certified hospital since 2010 and we cater to as many patients as we can. In fact, while 50 percent of our patients here do come from Olongapo, the other 50 come from nearby municipalities like for example, Zambales, Bataan and even Pampanga. Natutuwa nga kami dito dahil pinagkakatiwalaan nila kami,” he averred.
“Halos lahat ng mga complicated cases in hospitals surrounding Olongapo are usually referred to us and we accept them. Because the thrust of the hospital is to be serve as a public hospital we make sure to take in patients who are in the lower social strata. So most of our beds here are concentrated more on serving the poor.”
Private practice, meanwhile, is still pursued at the hospital in order to maintain its Level 3 status as a training hospital.
“Yung mga consultants namin dito are the ones who train the new doctors to become specialists, and they only receive an honorarium because of financial constraints. This is one of those agencies financed by the LGU so hindi talaga nila kayang magbigay ng positions for consultants, so to compensate, we allow them to do private practice so they can continue to teach.
As of his current count, Dr. Manuel is proud to have 108 consultants and 28 residents at James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital.
“We have 40 slots for residents, 10 in each departments. Kaya lang ang nagiging problema lang natin dito is the number of applicants for residency. In 2012, residents earned P20,000 each, which is now up to P35,000. But even if we found a way to increase salaries, it is still difficult to entice them with that amount. That’s why I’m grateful that we have interns in their place to augment our workforce.”
Challenges
Dr. Manuel admits that despite the achievements of James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital, there are still many areas in the institution that needs improvement.
“Kaya ko naman nagustuhan ang offer to head the hospital is that they wanted me to make this hospital a very efficient one again to be able to serve patients who need help the most, regardless of religion, social status and political affiliation. It’s for this very reason that I accepted the office kasi hospital must be really apolitical. Kaya although I am a political appointee, nakikita nila what I instilled here is that we have to be neutral and we have to give the highest medical services. And we have to give it to those who need it most,” he declared.
“Mas maraming problema dito dati. Alam mo yung notion of a public hospital? You can really see it here ‘di’ba? Yung mga negative. All of this is what continues to challenge me, just like the past negatives which I’ve turned around since 2013. Why? Because I am from here — I was born here, I was raised here and I was given the chance to serve here. And iba yun — not many are given a chance to pay it forward at the very place they call home. To be given that opportunity, I treasured it. And ang ginagawa lang natin is to live by example kasi yun lang ang nakikita kong dahilan para mabago natin lahat,” the good doctor related his views.
“Ang challenge lang naman dito every day is how to make ends meet because of our financial constraints. Alam mo naman, napakaraming ahensya ng gobyerno na kailangang pondohan. So with these guys, natuto akong makipag-compromise. Pangalawa, ang challenge ay left and right criticisms which we’re being bombarded with everyday especially at this time [campaign period]. Ang sinasabi ko sa kanila don’t lose focus kasi our job is to be an apolitical institution. All we have to do is do our job and at the end of the day all of it will come to pass. Politics should never influence us our jobs,” he added.
Despite encountering difficult situations every so often, Manuel — who is in every way a spirited and caring leader according to the hospital staff — stated he is more than proud of his co-workers’contribution to society as they tirelessly do for the institution.
“You know what, here in our hospital, ang lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila, our job is a thankless job. Because patients here expect us to do our job we shouldn’t have to wait for thank you. And we also have to brace ourselves for any comments or criticisms and we don’t have to take them as negatives. We have to accept comments because yon ang nakita nila. However unfair, we have to take them constructively so we can improve our services.”
Developments
“Modesty aside, from the time I held office here in 2013, there have been so many improvements that have taken place in the hospital including employees’ attitude,” Dr. Manuel began when asked to touch on the developments he has put in place.
“When I started out, hindi maganda yung state ng hospital at that time. Sira ang ating x-ray, wala tayong mga gamot, supplies, ang ating financial status was really down, including the moral of the staff.
“Ang ginawa ko first and foremost was to set myself as an example kasi ang sa akin ang leadership is very simple. You just have to have to practice what you preach, and walk your talk. ‘Yun ang aking principle in life and nakita naman nila, from there na pwedeng magbago.
“The changes in attitude I believe is one of the biggest improvements because given na kasi yung tangible ones. There’s support naman na from the private institutions and government as far as funding is concerned. We’re doing a lot of renovations, which is funded both by the local and national government. Sabi ko nga sa kanila, dapat suklian natin ng magandang serbisyo ang mga binibigay sa atin,” he added.
Finally asked to describe the fulfillment of a doctor-leader in a public hospital, Dr. Manuel easily responded, “When you give help, nakikita mo yung tao na nagigipit, at natulungan mo kahit konti. Pag nabigay mo yung pag-asikaso sa kanila, na-address yung kailangan nila, makikita mo silang nakangiti and priceless yon.”
Rounding up the interview with his vision for James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital, Dr. Jesse Manuel enthused, “My goal is for this hospital to become close to the heart of not only our constituents here in Olongapo, but also those that from other localities.
“I want this hospital to carry on as a center for training and research; to be as efficient as any other hospital as far as the infrastructure and equipment is concerned.
“I want this to become a full-fledged medical center and we will achieve that this year. We, together with the city mayor, are grateful to Senator Richard Gordon his initiative to raise P58 million funding for our equipment and another P10 million for infrastructure.
“I want the health care system to be truly universal for despite our financial constraints, we do comply with all the programs of the Department of Health and PhilHealth.
“Finally, I want this to be the best LGU-sponsored hospital not only in the Philippines but in the world because I believe anything is possible with the right attitude, with compassion and passion in one’s profession.”
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