USTH History

Continued ...

In 1946, the public dispensary of the hospital was initially established in a small building at a site to the right of the present Commerce Building, beside the on-campus electrical substation. The first director of the public dispensary was Dr. Castor Surla. On July 13, 1951, the dispensary was reorganized as the Out-patient, with Dr. Francisco Roman as its head.

The Institute of Neuropsychiatry was established in 1950 at the site of the garden area now fronting the Commerce Building. It was the first private institution of its kind in the country. The first two resident physicians of the institute were Drs. Gilberto Gamez and Henry Cube. After three years, however, the unit ceased functioning was eventually closed.

The first hospital morgue was constructed and inaugurated in 1958 in a one-story building separate from the second phase construction of the Medicine Building (now called the St. Martin de Porres Building). It was subsequently demolished to give way to the construction of the current USTH Clinical Division.

The UST Hospital quadrangle was completed in 1959. the charity and private services became consolidated into this building with the charity wards occupying the first floor. The whole charity ward was transferred and eventually renamed the USTH Clinical Division when it was completed in 1965 and formally inaugurated on March 6, 1966.

Today, sixty years from when it first opened its doors with a goal of service, the vision and mission of the University of Santo Tomas Hospital have become more formidable than ever.

With a staff of over 500 consultants of various specialties and subspecialties, residency and fellowship programs at par with its Asian counterparts, visiting professor staff from distinguished institutions worldwide, and medical graduates that constantly top the licensure examinations for physicians, nursing, medical technology, and pharmacy, the horizon that stretches out before the USTH with promise and challenge is indeed the reason why there is cause for celebration…as we usher in anew beginning - where the patient is human and the service is humane - the University Hospital.