Puerto Princesa City”•SM Foundation has renovated and refurbished Camp General Artemio Ricarte Station Hospital, making it capable of providing basic ancillary services including ECG, X-ray, and laboratory services to enlisted men, their dependents and authorized civilians.
CGARSH is the only Military Treatment Facility in Palawan servicing the entire Western Command. Wescom is the guardian of Palawan, known as the nation’s last frontier, and the defender of the West Philippine Sea. It is considered the most strategic United Command in the Armed Forces.
The rehabilitation and improvement of the Station Hospital also included the Nurses’ Station, Treatment Room, Officers Ward, Military Ward, Pediatric Ward, Female/OB Ward, Physical Rehab, Recovery Room, Intensive Care Unit and the OR/ DR Complex. It now has an improved pharmacy and central supply room.
To ensure the comfort and convenience of the patients, SM Foundation built a Patients’ Waiting Lounge and a Changing Room, which serves as a dressing room for military patients to don their complete military uniform after consultation.
At the same time, a breastfeeding area is provided for nursing mothers, mostly dependents and authorized civilians.
The 20-bed capacity hospital, which can be expanded to 50 is licensed by the Department of Health and accredited by PhilHealth, The level 1 hospital provides services in General Medicine, General Surgery, OB-Gyne, General Pediatrics, Anesthesia and EENT.
Other services include Out-Patient Care, Physical Therapy, Physical Examination, Family Planning, Emergency Room Services, NP Screening, Preventive Medicine Activities and Aero-medical Services, including Search and Rescue Operations and Mercy Missions.
The hospital dispenses medical services to 6,000 military personnel and their dependents belonging to the Western Command, Task Force Peacock (Marines), I-Care (Airforce) and Joint Task Force West. Around 80 patients are treated in the hospital daily.
At the turnover ceremony held at the station hospital grounds, Connie Angeles, SVP and Executive Director for Health and Medical Programs of SM Foundation said: “The make-over is part of the Foundation’s health and wellness advocacy, but more so, it is SM’s small way of honoring and acknowledging the tremendous effort of the military in nation building.”
The hospital is the 27th military health facility given a make-over by SM Foundation, and the 146th Wellness Center refurbished nationwide.
Lt Gen. Rozzano D. Briguez, Wescom Commander, said: “With utmost gratitude for the donation, the least that we can do to make this dynamic partnership work is to pay your generosity by delivering the best quality health care services to the military in their trying times.”
The ceremony was likewise attended by BGEN Edwin Leo T. Torrelavega, LTC Alekhine C. Tinio, Commanding Officer of the Station Hospital, LTC Rey Sixto R. Mangibin, DS (GSC), Darryl Sy, Assistant Mall Manager of SM City Puerto Princesa, and his entire management and staff.