Caloocan City renames hospital to change image

CALOOCAN City Mayor Oscar Malapitan has announced the renaming of the city’s premier medical center on Mabini Street as part of efforts to modernize the said facility.

“President Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Center [ PDMMMC] is now called Caloocan City Medical Center after being approved and signed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod,” Malapitan said during the recent signing of a memorandum of agreement ( MOA) between the Department of Health and CCMC.

Malapitan was referring to a recent convening of the Caloocan City Health Board, which unanimously recommended that the PDMMMC be renamed CCMC through the issuance of Pagtatalaga Blg. 001 ng Taong 2013.

The local health board is the body that oversees the delivery of all healthcare services to residents of the city. The group is composed of officials from both the executive and legislative branches of the local government, with representatives from other national line agencies.

Earlier, First District Councilor Aurora Henson II sponsored Proposed Ordinance 1424 Series of 2013, which originally sought to change its name, stating that, “Diosdado Macapagal Memorial

Medical Center has been the subject of ridicule and mockery, and the butt of jokes, which earned its monicker, Diosdedo Macapatay-Tao Memorial Medical

Center . . . possibly due to the dismal failure of the said hospital to provide immediate and adequate health facilities and services to the people of the City of Caloocan that unfortunately resulted to their death.“

“In order to erase the dismal impression that Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Center ‘ kills rather than cure’ there is a cogent reason to rename the Diosdado Macapagal Memorial Medical Center,” the proposed ordinance further read.

Later, in her letter to National Historical Commission of the Philippines Chairman Ma. Serena I. Diokno dated Aug. 16, the councilor specifically informed the agency of the recent local health board’s decision.

Under the Local Government Code of 1991, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, in consultation with the NHCP, may change the name of city hospitals, health centers and other health facilities.

For his part, Malapitan has vowed to improve hospital services to benefit the poor including the upgrade of its facilities and medical equipment.