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Transfer of 'fire, quake hazard' Fabella to push through

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<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/426ws6Y-MXg" width="600"></iframe></figure>Health Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial on Friday maintained that the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila is set for transfer.&quot;Construction is ongoing, and we are in constant communication with staff of Fabella. The goal is to really transfer the hospital. May grupo na ayaw mag-transfer, so we are still negotiating with them. Eventually, kung natapos yung new building [it will be] for a full transfer to a new building,&quot; she said.Ubial said, an external committee has examined the site to assess the structural and engineering integrity of buildings.&quot;It was concluded that it’s no longer safe, particularly if we will have an earthquake because the buildings are also not designed as a hospital. It was also not complying with fire safety standards,&quot; she said.The Manila City Engineer, she also noted, said the buildings can still be retrofitted, but it is estimated to cost more than P100-million.&quot;So instead of retrofitting an old building where we’ll still face lots of problems, we would rather use the money to build and refurbish the new one,&quot; she said.The Fabella Hospital, which has been dubbed a &quot;baby factory&quot; because of the sheer volume of births there, is the go-to maternity facility of the poor. Members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) confined at the 65-year-old hospital are not charged a single centavo unless they exceed the insurance allocation of government.WATCH: <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/video/nation/metro-manila/05/03/16/why-fabella-hospital-workers-fear-losing-jobs">Why Fabella hospital workers fear losing jobs</a>There is strong opposition to the hospital&#x27;s transfer, and Ubial asserted that they are in constant negotiation with the group to be able to reach an agreeable decision.&quot;Yung katulad nga sa West Philippine Sea, sabi ni Presidente, walang katapusang usapan kasi kapayapaan ang gusto natin. We don’t want to coerce or impose ourselves on people so it’s a constant dialogue with all the personnel involved.

Health Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial on Friday maintained that the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila is set for transfer.

Health Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial on Friday maintained that the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila is set for transfer.