USTH History

Continued ...

The Faculty of Medicine and Surgery subsequently transferred to the present campus on España, and a new hospital had to be built. The University authorities purchased the hospital equipment and supplies of the 120th U.S. Army General Hospital, which was based at the College of Education Building and the laboratory apparatus of the 343rd General Army Laboratories, located at the 4th floor of the Main Building for the sum of P350,000 which they borrowed from Elizalde and Company.

Drs. Ernesto Medina-Cue, Clemente Calma, Felix Estrada, Geronimo Tiangco, Belen Espino and Ramon Fraundorff were among the many physicians who laboriously took charge of the equipment inventory and relocation.

The official history of the current University of Santo Tomas Hospital is traced to the formal opening of its charity unit on February 15, 1945, in a building which stood at the rear of the Main Building. The building house classrooms for the medical school and became the site of the first charity hospital. When the medical school later transferred to its current location, the building became the UST High School until it was razed to the ground by a fire in 1975.

On March 7, 1946, the UST Pay Hospital (Private Division) opened and was inaugurated together with the charity hospital. The roots of this edifice are still noticeable as it is seen as the landmark that divides the modern structure of the current private hospital with the historical part that faces the current medical school.

The very first pay hospital admission was a delivery case - a live female baby.

The first medical director of the UST Hospital was Dr. Nicanor Jacinto, who was concurrently professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery (1937-1961). The first administrator was Dr. Ernesto Medina-Cue was concurrent professor of clinical pathology and chief of laboratories. Fr. Franicsco del Rio, O.P. served as the first Inspector-General. The members of the first Technical Council of the hospital included the aforementioned personalities as well as Dr. Luis Ma. Guerrero (Dean UST Medicine and Surgery), Rev. Fr. Jesus Diaz, O.P. (Regent, UST Medicine and Surgery), Dr. Agustin Liboro (Chief of Medical Service), Dr. Nicanor Jacinto (Chief of Surgical Service), Dr. Enrique Lopez (Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology), Dr. Renato Ma. Guerrero (Chief of Pediatrics), Dr. Edmundo Reyes (Chief of EENT), Dr. Paulino Garcia (Chief of Radiology), Dr. Erenesto Medina-Cue (Chief of Laboratory Service), Dr. Belen Espino (Chief Pharmacist), and Sors Taciana Trinares and Vicenta Ayerbe (Nursing Directress).