“Nu mabuteng da, umay da kanyak…”- BM Dangani urges KPH patients afraid to complain to approach him

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Board Member Alfredo K. Dangani is urging patients and their families who fear filing formal complaints against the Kalinga Provincial Hospital (KPH) to approach him so their concerns can be brought before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) for investigation and appropriate action.

Dangani made the appeal during the joint committee hearing of the SP Committees on Health and Sanitation and Civil Service on November 11, expressing support for KPH Supervising Administrative Officer Raymond B. Palicas’ call for patients to formally report their experiences.

Dangani chairs both committees.

Palicas said formal complaints would allow the hospital to hear both the complainant and the personnel involved, establish what happened, and identify practices that need correction.

“Kasano nga maaksyunan nu awan ti formal complaint. Dayta ngay ti nabayag nga arapaap ko kas admin ti Provincial Hospital tapno koma maicorrect ti practice ti daduma. Kasla daytoy concerns nga inraised ni maam Bayubay, nu mabalin ket iexplain koma in proper forum,” Palicas said during the hearing.

Supporting the call, Dangani acknowledged that some patients may be afraid to come forward but stressed that the provincial board would have difficulty investigating complaints without someone formally raising the concern.

“Nu mabuteng da (to file a complaint), umay da kanyak… Didjay garud ti maysa nga problema eh, alangan garud ikua tayo nu awan ti complainant eh,” he said.

Dangani clarified that encouraging patients to speak up is not intended to attack hospital personnel but to identify gaps in service delivery and determine appropriate measures, including possible legislation, to address them.

He cited a previous complaint involving a pregnant woman from Pinukpuk, whose mother-in-law questioned the medical attention and care provided to her at KPH.

The complaint was taken up during a joint committee hearing on September 10, where the complainant and hospital personnel presented their respective accounts.

The inquiry also raised broader concerns involving shortages of medical personnel, particularly obstetricians, patient waiting times, professional conduct, and hospital procedures.

These discussions prompted Dangani to propose the Kalinga Provincial Hospital and District Hospitals Management, Operations, and Quality Healthcare Ordinance, which seeks to establish standards for hospital management and service delivery.

The proposed measure covers staffing, duty schedules, professional conduct, personnel identification, service delivery, sanitation, accountability, and monitoring. It remains subject to further legislative proceedings.

Dangani said the previous complaint demonstrated how individual patient experiences could help the provincial board identify wider problems in hospital operations and consider measures to improve healthcare services.

His renewed appeal came as Save Kalinga co-founder Natividad Bayubay submitted letters requesting a legislative inquiry and oversight review of KPH’s pharmaceutical procurement, medicine quality, inventory management, and continuity of medicine supply.

The concerns were also discussed during the November 11 hearing.