KALIBO, Aklan – Almost 50 doctors of Asia Pacific Medical Center-Aklan (APMC-Aklan) here opposed the temporary relocation of Kalibo public market vendors to a lot just across their hospital.
In a petition was addressed to Mayor Emerson Lachica and the Sangguniang Bayan, the doctors warned of, among others, traffic congestion, sanitation issues, the emerge of infections, noise, and hygiene issues.
The local government of Kalibo plans to borrow funds from a government bank to purchase a vendors’ relocation site along Judge Nicanor Martelino Road in Barangay Andagaw while the public market is being reconstructed.
Aside from the relocation site, the loan package will also fund the P300-million reconstruction of the public market on Toting Reyes Street and Roxas Avenue Extension.
For their part, several members of Sangguniang Bayan warned that buying the 5,359-square meter property for the vendors’ relocation would be “grossly disadvantageous” to the government.
They also do not see the benefits if the local government of Kalibo agrees to take on the project cost – estimated at P60.876 million – for the relocation of vendors from Kalibo market in these challenging times of pandemic.
The councilors suggested to repurpose the funds meant for temporary relocation site, preferably to build a primary hospital or other health care facilities.
APMC-Aklan announced December 2022 as the completion date for its seven-storey hospital with roof deck, just across the proposed relocation site for vendors.
The 216-bed capacity hospital targets to operate by the first quarter of 2023.
In their petition, the doctors stressed that “a hospital should be easily accessible to the public and located in an area with no existing inappropriate industries and pollutants. Should a market be constructed in front of the hospital, it would definitely reduce the hospital’s efficiency of service.”
In addition, the hospital is seeking for the Gold Seal of Approval with the Joint Commission International (JCI), a recognized global leader and one of the world’s leading nonprofit patient safety organizations.
“The main issue for JCI is patient’s safety and infection control. Having a wet market in front of a hospital would be a big negating factor in our quest for JCI-accreditation,” the petition read.
JCI provides an objective assessment of quality achievement and patient care and safety. More than 1,000 health care organizations in over 70 countries have achieved the Gold Seal of Approval as JCI-accredited organizations./PN
