Mrs. Felicidad T. Sy, matriarch of the SM Group of Companies, recently turned over the renovated Pediatric Ward of the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital (JRMH) to Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona and Dr. Emmanuel Montana, Jr. representing the JRMH.

The 60-bed charity ward for pulmonary, cardio, nephro, neonathal, renal, neuro, and infectious diseases cases plus an ICU ward accommodates the 2,700 charity cases that the hospital receives per year. The ward is manned by 15 Filipino doctors and three Indonesian residents on an exchange program.

According to Dr. Ong, head of the Pediatric Division of the hospi tal: “we get referrals from all over the country, so it is not only Metro Manilans who can avail of the free services and medicines from the hospital but also from other parts of the country.“

The renovation included the provision of a nurses’ station, doctors’ offices, linen/stock room, doctors’ lounge, treatment room, comfort rooms, and a special pedia office.

Secretary Ona lauded the private sector for helping the government in its health care program. He cited the SM Group in particular for “giving this much-needed assistance to the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital as its last renovation was in 1991.“

Speaking in behalf of the SM Group, Connie Angeles, executive director for health and medical services, said this is the 73rd renovation/ reconstruction of a hospital ward and construction of the 74th Felicidad Sy Wellness Center for Children.

SM Foundation adopts health centers and hospital wards in government hospitals nationwide, hoping that “other groups and organizations will also adopt other wards in the many hospitals nationwide needing repairs & reconstruction.“

She said SM Foundation will take care of the maintenance of the whole pediatric ward. It will thus be visited regularly by SM Foundation staff to check on the upkeep of the ward and its donated equipment.