Dumaguete city: The Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) in this capital city is now offering more specialized surgeries as part of its efforts to achieve Level 3 accreditation from the Department of Health (DOH), an official disclosed.

According to Philippines News Agency, Dr. Liland Estacion, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) chief, highlighted that the hospital, which has been operational since 1945, has evolved significantly. It now provides advanced medical procedures, including craniotomy and spine surgery. Despite being classified as a Level 2 hospital, NOPH offers services typically available at Level 3 facilities.

The provincial government recently commemorated the 80th anniversary of NOPH with a modest ceremony. Dr. Estacion noted that many sub-specialty doctors from private hospitals also practice at NOPH, enhancing the range and quality of medical care provided.

As part of its journey towards Level 3 accreditation, NOPH has introduced internal medicine internships and plans to launch a pediatric care internship by the end of the year. The construction of a pediatric Intensive Care Unit is underway and is expected to be completed soon.

In the near future, NOPH aims to offer internship training programs for surgery and obstetrics-gynecology. Despite its official capacity of 250 patients, the hospital tends to 400 to 500 patients daily, as it adheres to a policy of not turning patients away.

One ongoing challenge faced by NOPH is the shortage of rooms, resulting in many patients being accommodated on cot-beds in the hallways, Dr. Estacion added.