Our Lady of Porziuncola Hospital, Inc - OLPHI 4.77

Our Lady of Porziucola Hospital, Inc (OLPHI) is an eighty bed-capacity, tertiary, level three private hospital located at CKC Cmpd, Cors Magsaysay Blvd and Rueda St., Calbayog City, Samar. OPHI is owned and operated by the Order of Friars Minor of the Custody of St. Anthony of Padua of the Southern Philippines. It operated last May, 31 2007 as the first and the only tertiary hospital in the entire island of Samar.

The hospital was named in honor of the Lady of the Angels of the Porziuncola in Italy. “Porziuncola” is an Italian word which means “little portion” - descriptive of the chapel where the St. Francis and first friars lived tending the care of the lepers and the abandoned sick of Assisi. Thus, the birth of OLPHI today is simply a continuation of the Franciscan ministry in the care of the sick!

In summary, despite its infantile stage of operation, OLPHI finds its long-lasting significance for the Samareños in the following summarized strengths:

1. The first tertiary, thus the only end-referral hospital in the entire island of Samar. Next tertiary hospital is in Tacloban City.
2. It is strategically located midway between Northern and Western Samar; nearer in Biliran, and Masbate Islands than Leyte or Cebu.
3. It is found in the heart of the City - close to drug stores, lodging houses, restaurants and shopping malls, and likes affording convenience and accessibility to its clients.
4. It is the newest, better equipped and more complete health facility with departmentalized health services, making tertiary care more accessible and affordable.
5. It established the first tertiary laboratory, equipped with automated and comprehensive diagnostic laboratory examinations, headed by a very competent Pathologist and staff.
6. Radiographic X-ray machines and a four-probed, Siemens ultrasound with capacity to do 2-d echocardiogram, operates daily because of a stay-in Fellow Radiologist affording immediate and quality results. People before are used to get radiology results a week or more after, because of a lack of either the machines or a radiologist.
7. OLPHI offers the first Eye Clinic for the entire island.
8. It operates the only Dialysis Clinic in Samar with four operational machines.
9. LGU collaboration resulted to easy access to City Health services as Epidemiologic and Surveillance; Ambulance Conduction, and Blood Banking services.
10. As base and training hospital of Christ the King College, OLPHI enjoys ample supply of nursing and other paramedical students as well as psychology and social work students that serve as added armamentaria in care of patients.
11. OLPHI has a dynamic chaplaincy program offering pastoral care to patients and hospital employees which highlights the Franciscan values towards the care of the sick and the debilitated.
12. OLPHI is the only DOH recognized hospital facility in Samar that offers New Born Screening; the only accredited IV therapy training hospital; and an accredited tertiary hospital of various HMO’s. It is also a PhilHealth (Phil. Insurance System) accredited tertiary institution and a member of both the PHA and the Private Hospital Association.