By JEN BAYLON
The One Hospital Command Center (OHCC), a vital patient referral initiative established by the Negros Occidental provincial government, will not be dismantled, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) said yesterday.
“We cannot simply abolish a system that has proven effective and beneficial for our communities,” PHO head Girlie Pinongan said.
The OHCC is rooted in the Universal Healthcare Law, Pinongan said, making it essential for the ongoing healthcare management in the province.
“It is designed to enhance communication between hospitals and local government units, allowing for better management of patient admissions and transfers,” she explained.
Pinongan noted that the OHCC continues to provide critical support for emergency response services, ensuring that patients receive timely care.
The OHCC is the center of communications for referrals among hospitals in the province.
It facilitates medical transport and patient pick-up arrangements; provides health system capacity, data analytics and risk communications; and optimizes the use of critical care services.
The provincial government’s Hospital Operations Department has been managing the OHCC since 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The facility has been recognized as one of Negros Occidental’s best practices in healthcare, facilitating seamless patient referrals among hospitals and optimizing healthcare resources.
It also played a significant role in helping the province achieve the Seal of Good Local Governance Award, highlighting its effectiveness in managing health services.
The initiative garnered attention from other provinces looking to replicate its success.
Earlier, former Victorias City Mayor Wantan Palanca suggested that the OHCC should be discontinued because the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
Patients should immediately be admitted to hospitals without the need for the referral system, he added.
“People are dying because they cannot enter hospitals,” Palanca said, “as they have to wait for referrals from the OHCC regarding government hospitals where they will be accommodated.”
Under the OHCC, all provincial government-run hospitals are ordered to implement the “No Referral, No Admission Policy” to avoid walk-ins and overcrowding at hospital triage and emergency rooms./JB, WDJ