Ospital Ng Maynila Medical Center - History

History

Studies reveal that an alarming number of city residents die without medical attendance. During the year 1967, 16.45% of the total deaths in the city occurred without medical attendance, and 14.43% with incomplete medical attendance. Added to this problem was the fact all the four national hospitals located in the city cannot accommodate all needy patients and even refuse some 8,000 patients a month.

The enactment on June 22, 1957, or Republic Act 1939, otherwise known as the Hospital Financing Act, spurred the City of Manila to establish its own hospital. The law required Manila to contribute 1% of its annual income for the operation and maintenance of national hospitals in the city.

Events leading to the establishment of the city hospital followed rapidly:

• December 30, 1959– Then Councilor Eriberto A. Remigio sponsors, and the municipal board enacts, Ordinance No. 4201 appropriating the amount of PHP 1 million for the construction of the city hospital.

• January 11, 1960– In his inaugural address before the municipal board, the late Mayor Arsenio H. Lacson endorsed the hospital project which he said would cost PHP 6 million.

• October 11, 1960– Mayor Lacson issues Executive Order No. 39 creating a city general hospital advisory committee.

• May 23, 1961– The municipal board, presided over by then Vice Mayor Antonio J. Villegas, passes Ordinance No. 4363 appropriating in additional amount of PHP 1.5 million, as requested by Mayor Lacson.

• April 11, 1962– Then President Diosdado Macapagal issues Presidential Proclamation No. 31 turning over to the City of Manila for hospital purposes the national government property at the corner of Harrison and Roxas Boulevard.

• April 15, 1962– Immediately upon assumption to office, Mayor Villegas pushes through the construction of the city hospital in the consonance with his program of “Libreng Pilipino” which hold, among other tings, that the right to medical care is part of the larger and more basic right of the individual to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

• September 11, 1962– The cornerstone of the city hospital is laid under the auspices of Mayor Antonio J. Villegas.

• October 20, 1962– At the instance of Mayor Villegas, the municipal board passes Ordinance No. 4636 naming the proposed city general hospital as the Arsenio H. Lacson Memorial Hospital.

• December 18, 1963– Actual construction work on the hospital building begins.

• December 5, 1968– Upon the insistent representations of Mayor Lacson’s widow, the municipal board passes Ordinanace No. 6807 renaming the hospital as the Ospital ng Maynila.

OMMC was established on January 31, 1969 by the government of the City of Manila. The primary motivation in establishing the Medical Center was to provide city residents, 80% of who are classified as indigents, a better standard of medical care. It was originally planned to provide a total in-patient capacity of 300 beds and 60–90 nursery cribs. In addition, an outpatient department was included to provide medical care to ambulatory patients.

In May 2005, OMMC renovated its Emergency Department, Infirmary Ward and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nursery). Moreover, it also acquired 250 new hospital beds, two incubators, two respirators, and Computed Tomography (CT) Scan services that is free for all legitimate residents of Manila.

On December 23, 2008, the hospital integrated the anthroposophic framework beginning with the institutionalization of integrative and complimentary alternative medicine through the help of Dr. Michaela Glocker, who is the leader of the Medical Section at the Goetheanum, the School of Spiritual Science in Dornach, Switzerland since 1988.