MRS. Felicidad T. Sy, matriarch of the SM Group of Companies turns over the completely renovated Pediatric Ward of the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital to 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 3 Indonesian residents on an exchange program. According to Dr. Ong, head of the Pediatric Division of the hospital: “we get referrals from all over the country, so it is not only the 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, Doctor’s Lounge, treatment room, comfort rooms and a special Pedia Office.

Secretary Ona lauded the private sector, the SM Group in particular, for helping the government in its health care program, “giving this much needed assistance to the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital as its last renovation was in 1991”. He further said “it is a clear example of the successful private-public partnership”.

Connie Angeles, Executive Director for Health and Medical Services who spoke on behalf of the SM Group said that this is the 73rd renovation/reconstruction of a hospital ward and the 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 and reconstruction”.

In closing, Angeles announced that SM Foundation will take care of the maintenance of the whole pediatric ward thus the ward will be visited regularly by SM Foundation staff to check on the upkeep of the ward and its donated equipment.