ZAMBOANGA CRISIS 2013: MINDANAO CENTRAL SANITARIUM

September 9, 2013 was an ominous day which marked the start of the unimagined atrocities to our city and named the Zamboanga Crisis, and which is now running to Day 12.

One of the most unimaginable situations was the evacuation of the largest hospital in Zamboanga City, the Zamboanga City Medical Center to the Western Mindanao State University gymnasium.

But, this crisis also brought to the frontline, the Mindanao Central Sanitarium (MCS), which is now tapped for more difficult medical, surgical, pediatric and obstetric cases.

The MCS is known as the leprosarium and thus, not yet prepared as a general hospital, although, the physical structures is already prepared for such.

From MCS website: http://mcs.doh.gov.ph/

The original mandate of MCS embodied in E.O. No. 392, is to serve as a leprosarium in Region IX. However, Department Order No. 375-5, dated July 26, 1994, also known as the Sanitaria Conversion and Development, a part of the DOH Hospital Upgrading Plan, further expanded the legal mandate of MCS. 

Under this Sanitaria Conversion Plan, MCS was tasked the following legal mandates:

A. To be the Sanitarium for the entire Mindanao area;

B. To upgrade to a 50-bed capacity general hospital with secondary capabilities, and

C.  To upgrade a Drug Rehabilitation Center for Western Mindanao

MCS is located in Pasobolong, Zamboanga City and has a land area of 23 hectares. 

This is the Map of the 23-hectare MCS:

The Head of the MCS is OIC-Chief of Hospital II Dr. Alfonso Montuno. 

In the early days of the Zamboanga Crisis, Dr. Al Montuno already approached Ciudad Medical Zamboanga as outsourcing for sterilization.

Dr. Al Montuno of MCS coordinating with CMZ CEO Atty. Jhihann Natividad for sterilization of instruments considering that surgery is not one of their existing services. 

On Day 7, I was able to visit MCS for the first time.

Amidst the gloom of the Crisis, I saw hope when I went in MCS.

This is why! I'd like to show you the place...

Entrance Gate

Administration Building

ER/OPD Buildings

 

Main Hospital

Information

Wards

I really like the atmosphere of the hospital.

With this set-up, I feel that this place would definitely be ideal for recovery, as long as the doctors and healthcare workers will be available to serve them.

The only deterrent for MCS is that this is located about 12.8 kms. from the city proper.

Operating room area

The place with the dark green windows.

Initially, the leprosarium was not yet prepared for this, but somehow due to the crisis, there have been many surgical procedures performed, including, many Orthopedic procedures related or not related to the conflict and also a Neurosurgical procedure for drainage of brain abscesses done by the neurosurgeon from Davao Regional Hospital, Dr. Russel Sasing.   

Orthopedic Station

The Ortho table is just placed since this is not one of the original services of the MCS. 

They have three hospital beds in this Ortho room plus an additional two cot beds.

OB ward

The mothers from the OB ward are from Mercedes, Curuan and Victoria who came over since the health centers are closed.

These are the three babies delivered at MCS.

In the first few days of the crisis, one of the babies was moved to Ciudad Medical Zamboanga because of lack of Oxygen. The mother came from one of the conflict areas and had labor at the height of the tension.

The MCS has augmented their supplies since patients from the WMSU gym who may need surgery or ICU set-up are sent to this hospital.

The MCS now has a taste of being a general hospital and may not have difficulty of transforming to one, now that they have the premature exposure to being one.

Intensive Care Unit now available at MCS!:
I saw in my friend, Mye-Mye's post that on Day 10, the ICU set-up is now placed in the Manila Central Sanitarium.

a more comfortable place for our icu patients..from wmsu gym to mc sanitarium#healing#recovery#wellness
credits: Mskie Bluephin (FB)

medical intensive care unit at mindanao central sanitarium for our zcmc critically ill patients
credits: Mskie Bluephin (FB)

Some patients:

I guess patients who are brought to the MCS are more fortunate because they have a better and more fresh accommodation with a sense of healing.

It was mentioned by Dr. Al Montuno that he has a project where he would invite groups who have Tree Planting activities to do so over at the MCS because he would want to develop the 23 hectare sprawl to be full of trees in designated areas between buildings, something like a Mini-forest.

He looks forward to MCS as a general hospital and also with a separate facility within for Drug Rehabilitation.

Welcome DOH-CHD RIX ARD Dr. Louella Estember who was also installed on the first day of the Crisis.
You were really welcomed with a Blast together with RD Dr. Nimfa Torrizo.
~~ with CMZ Medical Director, Dr. Filipinas Rojo, Dr. George Rojo and OIC-Chief of Hospital II Dr. Alfonso Montuno, head of Mindanao Central Sanitarium. 

The Zamboanga Crisis 2013 has also opened our eyes to other DOH-CHD IX facilities and capabilities and we do hope to see this place one day as the upgraded Mindanao Central Sanitarium with more services for the Zamboanga City community, especially in the East Coast area.