QUEZON CITY – The hospitals, including the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital in Bauko, Mountain Province, will be upgraded without undergoing the rigorous legislative mill in congress.
This was learned during the consultation of the congressmen with Dr. Paulyn Jean B. Rossell-Ubial, Secretary of the Department of Health (DOH), last September 27, 2016 at the Batasan Complex.
Congressman Maximo Dalog submitted the request for facilities and infrastructure development projects of the hospital to the secretary in coordination with Dr. Glenn Matthew Baggao, the hospital head.
He informed the secretary that he already filed a House Bill to increase the bed capacity from 100 beds to 200 beds citing present needs as the number of patients has been steadily increasing.
Data gathered indicated a comparative increase in the bed occupancy from 59.05% in 2014, 79.68% in 2015, and 99.69% in the first half of 2016.
The outpatient department reported that there were 23,888 patients in 2014, 34,077 patients in 2016, and 21,746 patients from January to June 2016.
Secretary Ubial, after hearing the common sentiments of congressmen for upgrading of hospitals, initiated the move for the passing of a law that confers automatic authority for the DOH to upgrade hospitals as needed.
The congressmen lauded the secretary for her initiative, although a congressman claimed that the DOH can do it administratively. However, the consensus is for the passage of a law as requested.
Sec. Ubial was invited to visit LHMRH in the future. She said that she plans to visit all regional hospitals before the end of year 2017.
Meanwhile, notwithstanding the request for funds, it was gathered that the DOH has already provided under the department’s HFEP budget a total of P77,672,000.00 for buildings and equipment commensurate for the upgrading of the hospital from level 2 to level 3.
Congressman Dalog cited the need to upgrade the regional hospital as it now hosts patients not only from the province but also from other provinces in the region and the nearby Ilocos provinces.**Roger Sacyaten
