OHC system under review after emergency care delays

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — The provincial government has begun reviewing the implementation of the One Hospital Command (OHC) system following mounting concerns from local officials over delayed emergency care that allegedly led to patient deaths.

Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, president of the Association of City Executives, said Gov. Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson asked the group to conduct an independent assessment of the OHC and submit a position paper on its current status and impact.

Escalante said Lacson encouraged local executives to speak candidly amid growing complaints. “Don’t be intimidated. I want your honest assessment,” Lacson reportedly told the group, adding that the review is now ongoing.

The mayor cited serious operational issues, particularly in handling emergency cases under the current OHC setup.

He explained that Cadiz City’s health system was originally structured with St. Anne Hospital Medical Center, now the Cadiz District Hospital, as the main referral facility, supported by the City Health Office and a puericulture, or lying-in, center.

Under the previous arrangement, emergency patients received initial treatment at city health facilities before being transferred directly to the district hospital for further care.

With the implementation of the OHC system, Escalante said patients are now required to secure clearance before hospital admission, a process that has reportedly caused critical delays in emergencies.

“In emergencies, patients end up waiting inside tricycles or ambulances because they cannot be admitted without OHC clearance,” Escalante said.

He added that overcrowding at the city’s lying-in clinic, which has only 11 to 12 beds and limited emergency tables, forced the local government to put up temporary tarpaulins along the roadside to shelter waiting patients.

Escalante cited a fatal car accident case in which a patient was allegedly denied immediate admission and instructed to obtain OHC clearance first.

The patient was eventually transferred to another medical facility but did not survive, according to the mayor.

While acknowledging that the OHC has “good points” and was intended to streamline hospital coordination across the province, Escalante stressed that the system requires urgent adjustments to avoid life-threatening delays.

He emphasized that any reforms must prioritize patient safety, especially in time-sensitive emergencies where every minute can determine survival.