A joyous, thanksgiving dinner was held by the officers and staff of the Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital (JASGH or JASGEN) after its director, Dr. Merle D. Sacdalan-Faustino, was hailed as the regional winner of the “Dangal Ng Bayan” Awards by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for the kind of free medical services being offered in the said hospital, which is being run by the city government of Manila.
The celebration, themed “Dangal ng Bayan! Dangal ng Maynila! Dangal ng JJASGH!,” was held at the Gloria Maris Shark’s Fin Restaurant at the CCP Complex in Pasay City, where ranking national and city officials took turns in extolling Director Sacdalan.
City Administrator Bernie Ang led the local officials in extoling Director Sacdalan and how she brought the JJASGH to greater heights. He was joined by Sta. Ana Director Dr. Grace Padilla, Secretary to the Mayor Marlon Lacson, Mayor Honey Lacuna’s chief of staff Joshue Santiago, Barangay Chairman Jefferson Lau, St. Peter’s Life and Non-Life plans owner Dr. Mildred Vitangcol and Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FCCCII) external committee chair Nelson Guevarra, among others.
Before this, Mayor Honey Lacuna and Vice Mayor Yul Servo also lauded the good director of the JJASGH for a job well done, during simple ceremonies held at the Manila City Hall’s flag raising ceremony.
Sacdalan, for her part, thanked those who have supported the hospital’s endeavors under her stewardship, led by City Administrator Ang, Guevarra, Lau, FFCCCII Sec-Gen Dr. Fernando Gan and the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA) headed by this writer as its president, which Sacdalan lauded for reporting all the developments and programs being undertaken by the JJASGH to provide better services to Manilans.
Also in attendance were urban settlements office Director Atty. Cris Tenorio and Gilbert Sugay of the Manila Barangay Bureau, her classmates in Medicine FEU-NRMF BATCH 83; Dr. David Lee-Zarate; Dr. Myrna Paloma of Ospital ng Tondo and other stakeholders that included Principal Edita Lopez with Hemma Perucho, Mr. Mateo and Redentor Salonga representing Pedro Guevarra Elementary School and Jose Abad High School respectively and Felma Tria, President of the Universidad de Manila, all of which are beneficiaries of the INFOMEDOC Advocacies of the JJASGH. The immediate past president of the PMA, Dr. Benito Atienza and past Philippine Pediatrics Society head Dr. Melinda Millares Atienza also came.
Sacdalan, who was joined in the celebration by her 90- year-old mother Rose and siblings as well as her husband, Atty. Melencio Faustino and daughter Metea Micol, also thanked Rotary Club of Chinatown President Philip Lee. Saying the JJASGH is a recipient of so many programs and projects like the “Human Milk Bank and the Hearing and Balance Center” which are all sponsored by RCC since 2016 up to the present.
Sacdalan says the JJASGH is a favorite donation recipient of the MCC since they harness the generosity via superb performance and commitment to serve those who are in need of free medical care.
Director Sacdalan also shared the award with all her co-workers saying she could not have accomplished so many things alone and without the help of all those behind the day-to-day operations of the JJASGH.
She also vowed to think of ways to further improve the services that the JJASGH gives to the residents of Manila and even those living outside of Manila who come for help, as she enjoined the hospital staff to continue their dedication and hard work they provide for the patients.
The Dangal ng Bayan (DNB) Award or Outstanding Public Officials and Employees’ Award for exemplary ethical behavior which was given to Sacdalan, is conferred on an individual for performance of an extraordinary act or public service and consistent demonstration of exemplary ethical behavior on the basis of observance of the eight norms of conduct provided under Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. These are: commitment to public interest; professionalism; justness and sincerity; political neutrality; responsiveness to the public; nationalism and patriotism; commitment to democracy and simple living.
It was learned that the JJASGH was also awarded with ISO 9001:2008 Certification on July 8, 2016 and has successfully transitioned to the latest version ISO 9001:2015 on August 8, 2018. An ISO Certified institution means it follows international standards, procedures and service quality.
Following ISO Standards are must-haves for a Medical or Healthcare Providers. The ISO 9001:2015 Standard provides specific requirements for a quality management system that will enhance the ability to deliver care that will meet the requirements of the patient. The Healthcare Industry is driven by a set of standard instructions and regulations from the medical associations and governing bodies.
Achieving quality excellence, optimizing process flows, and effectively managing daily operations is the aim of every hospital management and to streamline the daily hospital operations and embrace the global best practices, ISO Certification is the right choice. Also, ISO 9001 Certification enables the hospital to comply with the statutory and regulatory guidelines for the governing authorities.
Following are the benefits that an ISO 9001:2015 certification brings to hospitals: periodic management reviews & internal audits; measurements and control of suppliers; conduct frequent customer feedback survey and ensure preventive measure are taken; standardized and formal corrective action procedures; risk management and assessment to avoid unprecedented events and continual improvement through process optimizations and productivity enhancements.
