The expertise of the government’s top medical institution, Philippine General Hospital (PGH), will add quality to the service of the OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga.

On Friday, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and PGH to help manage the clinical services of the country’s first hospital for OFWs.

“I’m glad that the state’s leading research and medical center is supporting the OFW Hospital. With PGH on our side, what could possibly go wrong?” DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a news release on Sunday. “In serving the health needs of our modern-day heroes, we need the champion in saving lives. Thank you, PGH, for helping us.”

PGH will help the OFW Hospital in the training of clinical and administrative personnel, planning and acquisition of hospital equipment, and formulation of clinical and fiscal process flow, according to the MOU.

It will also guide the hospital in the creation of electronic medical record and hospital information system and planning of infrastructure layout in relation to clinical services.

The Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation, Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Incorporated, and Pampanga provincial government also play major parts in the construction of the 100-bed hospital, which is scheduled to be finished in March.

After the MOU signing, Bello led the walk-through on the facilities and services.

Aside from PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi who signed the MOU, also in attendance were former president and Pampanga congressional (Second District) candidate Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Department of Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, and other officials of the labor and health departments, PGH, Bloomberry and the provincial government. (PNA)