San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora defended the condition and progress of the San Juan Medical Center (SJMC) following criticism from Senator JV Ejercito, asserting that the hospital had been neglected for years prior to his administration and is now undergoing major rehabilitation.

The exchange of statements between the two officials centers on allegations of neglect and the current state of the city-run hospital.

“SJMC was neglected for years. We chose to fix it. More improvements are coming to San Juan Medical Center,” Zamora said.

The mayor rejected reports that the hospital is in poor condition, stressing that both funding and services have significantly improved since he assumed office in 2019.

He revealed that the city government has secured an initial ₱554 million in funding for upgrades, including the acquisition of new medical equipment such as the hospital’s first MRI machine and a new CT scan unit, renovation of the Emergency Room to Level 3 standards, electrical service rehabilitation, a hospital building facelift, and three new ambulances.

Zamora emphasized that these projects are not mere promises but are already funded and currently undergoing the procurement process, amid claims that the hospital has deteriorated under his leadership.

He also described the condition of SJMC when he first took office, saying it was in a “deeply neglected state.”

“When I became mayor in 2019, SJMC was in a deeply neglected state. For 18 years, it remained just a Level 1 hospital with very limited medical services and procedures available,” he said.

According to Zamora, the city government was surprised to find unused medical equipment due to unfinished renovations and insufficient infrastructure. He added that patients and their families previously had to bring their own electric fans and pay ₱50 just to plug them in because cooling facilities were unavailable. Drinking water was also not provided, forcing patients to purchase water for ₱5 per glass at the nurses’ station.

“Imagine, a public hospital charging patients just so they could plug in an electric fan and drink water to stay hydrated while seeking medical treatment and care?” he said.

For comparison, Zamora noted that the hospital’s budget stood at only ₱61 million in 2001 and ₱110 million in 2010 under previous administrations, with critical services and facilities left behind and patients enduring inadequate conditions and outdated equipment.

Since 2019, he said SJMC has been upgraded to a Department of Health (DOH) Level 2 licensed hospital, enabling it to perform a wider range of medical procedures. PhilHealth accreditation was restored in 2020, while zero-balance billing was implemented as early as December 2019.

The hospital’s workforce has also expanded from 186 personnel in 2019 to 516 at present, with many employees transitioning from temporary or non-regular roles to plantilla positions, providing greater job stability.

Facility upgrades include the expansion of the Emergency Room from eight to 16 beds, an increase in adult ICU beds from five to 12, and pediatric ICU beds from two to three. The CT scan became operational in 2024, while a mammogram unit began operations in 2023. SJMC now also has a high-end X-ray with fluoroscopic capability and a Heart Station equipped with ECG, treadmill testing, and 2D echocardiography, the mayor noted.

Zamora added that several services previously unavailable at the hospital have been established, including a Malasakit Center, a Human Milk Bank, a Rehabilitation Medicine Department, a Cancer Care Center, and a Wellness Hub. All wards and rooms are now air-conditioned, eliminating the need for patients to bring electric fans.

Budget allocation for SJMC has increased from ₱315.9 million in 2019 to ₱644.5 million in 2026 to support these improvements.

Despite these developments, Zamora acknowledged that the hospital is not yet perfect but maintained that substantial progress has been made.

“Is SJMC already perfect? Of course not. I have never claimed that. It remains a work in progress. But it has come a long, long way from the deeply neglected and unacceptable hospital we inherited in 2019,” he said.

”In fact, our constituents actually would call it back then “San Juan Medi-kill Center,” the mayor said.

The city government aims to upgrade SJMC into a Level 3 hospital and a nationally recognized Green Medical Center of Excellence before the end of Zamora’s term on June 30, 2028.

“Malaki na po ang ipinagbago ng San Juan Medical Center mula 2019. Ngunit alam ko na marami pang dapat gawin at iyan po ang ating tatapusin bago matapos ang ating termino,” he added.

Zamora also welcomed public feedback and scrutiny but stressed the importance of acknowledging completed work.

“Accountability matters. Accuracy matters too. San Juan Medical Center was neglected for years. We are fixing it. The progress is real. And we will definitely finish the job,” he said.

“Some may prefer to recycle old talking points. We prefer to fix the mess that they left behind. I am staking my name and reputation on this undertaking because the improvement and rehabilitation of San Juan Medical Center is my priority.”

Meanwhile, Ejercito expressed disappointment over what he described as the administration’s continued focus on blaming past leadership rather than fully accepting responsibility.

“No one is denying that improvements have been made at San Juan Medical Center over the past seven and a half years. Any improvement in public healthcare is welcome,” Ejercito said.

“But let us not revise history,” he added.

He said that after several years in office, the response to current complaints should go beyond attributing problems to previous administrations.

“What is disappointing is that, seven and a half years later, the chosen response to present complaints is still to blame the past instead of fully accepting accountability for the present,” he said.

“At some point, governance must move beyond political finger-pointing. ACTION — NOT BLAME — IS THE ANSWER.”

Ejercito maintained that conditions at SJMC have worsened in recent years despite reported improvements.

“The bottom line is that SJMC has deteriorated over the past several years under the Zamora administration. We cannot deny the realities on the ground. San Juaneños know and experience the truth every time they visit SJMC,” he said.