Gaviola Hospital rises up in Carmen town (uniquely with free consultations ever)

may 12-18, 2014

Where can you find a hospital that rises up even if it has been serving mostly ordinary and poor folks with free consultation while those admitted in its emergency room have never been asked of any downpayment?

It’s in Barangay Sto.Nino, Kilometer 35 in Carmen, Davao del Norte. The doctor is in, and he’s the known doktor ng masa- Dr. Jesus Gaviola, owner of Gaviola Hospital.

“We give as usual free consultation everyday, smiles and priority to serve foremost the yanong lungsuranon,” says Dr. Gaviola, former mayor of Carmen for three terms, from 1998 to 2007.

Gaviola Hospital is known to charge in affordable fees and in giving utmost medical service to the best of its capability. It is transparent in its charges through openly posting specific charges in its range of its hospital services.

“Besides our free consultation, we have strengthened our hospital and health services for the ordinary people,” he said.

The hospital started only with 10 beds in 1995. Currently, a new bigger hospital building is being constructed and once it is completed it will have 35 beds. At present, it has 18 beds yet.

The hospital is Phihealth-accredited and admits those insured of various insurances such as the Maxicare, Intelicare, Goldcare and Tagum Coop insurance, besides having a built-in package of benefits that asks no downpayment for those admitted in its emergency room.

At present, the hospital’s medical force is composed of 18 nurses, 7 resident physicians, 5 consultants, and Dr. Gaviola as the chief of the hospital.

The upgraded hospital will have four major clinical departments to cater to growing clients especially coming from low-income families mostly from the host municipality. The departments are the outpatient, OB, surgery and pedia, besides the admission service for all general types of disease.

“Our target is to make it a Level 1hospital with complete equipment and complete, quality service that would cater the yanong lungsuranaon,” said the doktor ng masa.

The complete medical center that is rising up in Carmen will then have improved special services such as the operating room, dental service and delivery room.

Because it targets the yanong lungsuranon, who are the priority of the hospital, nurses and front and support personnel have been practicing Doc Gaviola’s code of work ethics.

“First they have always to smile to clients in all walks of life, though how poor they are or they have no slippers or who just come from the farm. Second, they have always to be sensitive to the needs of the hospital clients, and third, they must always give full attention to patients whenever they are caring them,” the doc stresses. 

Now, people going to the hospital, patients and non-patients alike, have been noticed to be in happy mood and are observed to have understood the hospital’s services and limits as they are always seen to be satisfied with the way they are treated by the hospital nurses and employees.

Doc Gaviola has been serving a doctor in active practice for 28 years already. He first became a municipal councilor in 1995 for a term before he subsequently became the Carmen mayor for 3 straight terms.

“I wasted 12 years in practice as a doctor just because I devoted myself for public service. But then the real service of a doctor is public service,” Doc Gaviola waxed poetically.

“I’m happy serving for the health of the people,” he said.

And he believes that the hospital he is building from his hard labor and hard-earned money from operating a hospital that gives free consultations is a great help and intervention to alleviate the yanong lungsuranon in his town. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)