NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
The Bohol Island State University (BISU) Board of Trustees (BOT) led by Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Dr. Perfecto Alibin in a meeting last Friday approved the plan to open the only government-funded Medical School in Bohol.
Conceptualized by Cong. Edgar Chatto in consultation with BISU President Dr. RegucivillaPobar, Holy Name University (HNU) President Rev Fr. DudzLero and University of Bohol (UB) President Dr. Ryan Tirol, the proposed school is in support to the Provincial Government’s plan of strengthening Bohol’s health system under the leadership of Gov. Art Yap and Vice Gov. Rene Relampagos.
Pobar presented the plan to the BISU BOT for favorable endorsement to CHED. In the plan, BISU will partner with the Governor CelestinoGallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) which will provide the needed technical support and school teaching facilities through a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Health (DOH). The private universities and colleges will play an important role of providing preparatory medicine courses to those interested of pursuing a medical degree.
It may be recalled that earlier, Cong. Chatto sought the support of CHED Chairman Dr. Popoy De Vera, University of the Philippines president Atty. Danny Concepcion, DOH Sec. Francisco Duque, Philippine Regulatory Commission (PRC) Chair Atty. TeofiloPilando and the Association of Philippine Medical Colleges. The UP-PGH College of Medicine committed to provide mentorship in Curriculum Development and Operational Management to the school.
GCGMH Chief Dr. MutyaMacuno for her part assures the readiness of their hospital to help realize this project which will contribute to Bohol’s enhanced healthcare. She said that this is timely with the completion of the phase 2 building expansion of GCGMH Tagbilaran facility and the construction of GCGMH Specialized Care Medical Center in Cortes which is now in pre-bidding processes, both initiatives of Cong. Chatto. Medical Professionals in Bohol also see this as a welcome development to ensure availability of physicians in hospitals and rural health units (RHUs) in the LGUs provincewide.
The plan aligns with the Doktor Para sa Bayan Bill, which Chatto co-authored, that is awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Under the bill, government will offer a full scholarship for medicine students, expanding access to medical school, and producing doctors who in turn will serve the province where they completed their medical degree.