medical facilities at LMC ►►
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Lorma Medical Center is a modern 136-bed general hospital with about 180
hospital workers; 2.9 workers for every patient on average. It is accredited by
the Employees' Compensation Commission and the Philippine Medicare Association
and licensed for tertiary (the highest) level of services by the Ministry of
Health. The hospital is departmentalized containing separate rooms and wards for
surgical, pediatric and medical cases. In 1970, it was adjudged as the Most
Outstanding Hospital in the Philippines in Community Service.
Services covered include Special and General Surgery, Neuro-surgery, Cancer
treatment, Obstetrics, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Medicine, Children's
Diseases, Well-Baby Clinic, Family Planning, Blood, Heart and Lung Diseases,
Radiology (X-ray), Anesthesiology, EENT Diseases, Psychiatry, Respiratory
Therapy, Dermatology, Neurology, Dentistry and Family Medicine.
Clinical services and facilities include modern air-conditioned operating
rooms for abdominal, cancer, orthopedic, urology, neurosurgery, plastic and
chest surgery, and operative gynecology and obstetrics. Lorma has a modern
Central Supply Unit wherein hospital equipment are sterilized. Needles and
syringes are all properly disposed to prevent cross infections. It has several
electrocardiographs, a Pulsar portable cardio-resuscitation system consisting of
a defibrillator. Recent new equipment purchases include 5 cardiac monitors, a
volume ventilator, and a very powerful electro-cautery machine for urinary and
other surgical procedures.
The hospital has acquired in 1997 a powerful General Electric X-ray machine.
This unit has an image intensifier, television monitor, spot film device, a
motorized electric table and an automatic cassette changer. This 1000 MA unit is
the only one of its kind outside of Manila. It is able to perform the most
complicated of procedures. Also since it is so strong, the amount of radiation
dose is greatly lessened. Very special diagnostic procedures such as angiograms
are now possible.
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Lorma's nursery staff is on duty 24 hours a day. This department is also
divided into a main nursery, a premature nursery, a suspect nursery, and a
nursery for boarders. It has a several modern electric incubators for premature
babies. There is a separate air-conditioned delivery room attached to the OR
department. |
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The laboratory has 5 full-time medical technologists and facilities for
routine and special examinations for blood, urine, stool and other specimens
that are not commonly available. In June 1980, Lorma established the first
pathology department in the Ilocos Region. Now histopath specimens can be
examined immediately without the need to send them to Manila. The pathologist,
who visits the hospital, consults with the patient's doctor to discuss difficult
cases. Also, for the first time in the area, PAP smear exams can be done on site
to detect cervical cancer in women....Another major equipment acquired by the
laboratory department is a blood gas analyzer. This is useful in the treatment
of serious patients, and is unique in Northern Luzon. The hospital also does a
complete line of tests for cancer, thyroid disorders and other specialty exams
not usually found in other hospitals.
Another new piece of equipment at Lorma is the ULTRASOUND SCANNING MACHINE.
This unit is employed in diagnostic tests of the upper abdomen, the heart and
obstetric and gynecological cases. This unit is the only one in the area fully
capable of doing highly professional Echo-cardiography exams, including color
studies. The hospital operates an EEG unit. This is used to diagnose injuries or
other impairments to the brain. It is one of the few units outside of Manila.
The hospital recently acquired a GASTROINTESTINAL FIBERSCOPE (GASTROSCOPE),
the newest fiber-optic instrument for the diagnosis and treatment of most
diseases of the esophagus, stomach and small intestine for in and out-patients.
The only unit available in the province and in the Ilocos.
The hospital's INTENSIVE CARE/CORONARY CARE UNITS were brought on line
several years ago. It has the most modern, up-to-date treatment facilities for
patients suffering from heart and other serious illnesses. It contains modern
equipment such as a piped-in oxygen supply to assure a continuous flow of pure
oxygen, piped-in automatic suction units with regulators, heart monitors,
emergency crash cart and doctor call system to meet respiratory and cardiac
emergencies, a volume ventilator, a defibrillator, 3 respirators, and a thermal
draining unit. Highly skilled and specially trained nurses are assigned at a
central station, with a view to all beds, are there to assist in the needs of
the patients.Recently installed is the HTS 200 Central Station/Portable
Telemetry Monitor - the most modern unit in evaluating critically-ill patients.
Fully air-conditioned with a sound-proof environment, the ICU composed of a
2-bed cardiac ward, 2-private rooms, an ICU ward and 3 recovery room beds. All
beds are the intensive-care type, each of which can be placed in 12 different
positions depending upon the patient's medical requirement. Since patients in
this area require more rest and quiet atmosphere, only one watcher is allowed
for ward patients and two for private rooms at the same time, and visiting hours
have to be strictly followed, which are 10-11:30 a.m. and 3-5 p.m.
A modern Computerized Tomography machine is located in the hospital. It
produces excellent images of the brain and other internal organs. It is very
useful to the medical staff for diagnostic purposes. Patients come from areas as
far away as Laoag and Baguio.
The hospital's OPD SURGICAL UNIT was opened a few years ago to provide a less
expensive, faster, and more convenient way to have minor surgeries. The unit is
air-conditioned and is fully equipped for such procedures.
Other hospital facilities include a pharmacy, business office, an out-patient
department which provide a television set which we either show films or regular
TV program for patients and their companions while waiting for their turn, a
separate emergency room, patient companions' kitchen, hospital chapel, dietary
department, library and medical records department, a maintenance and
transportation department, physical therapy, Chaplaincy and Patient Relations.
