Press Release
July 24, 2018

Senate approves bills creating, upgrading hospitals

The Senate has approved on third and final reading several bills seeking to create, rename and upgrade hospital facilities to improve the delivery of basic health services in the country.

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said the passage of Senate Bill No. 1586 would establish a new hospital in Region XII.

"The bill seeks to establish the SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital in the municipality of Surallah, South Cotabato to improve access to medical services and a modem health facility for the 4.11 million Filipinos in Region XII," Ejercito said.

Ejercito noted that SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) or Region XII "currently has no regional health facility of its own."

He added that while the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center is present in Cotabato City, it mostly services patients from the city and the province of Maguindanao. Many patients from other parts of Region XII have to go to Davao City for special medical attention "due to distance and security concerns."

Ejercito then cited a feasibility study conducted by the Region XII-Department of Health-Center for Health Development (CHD) which recommended the establishment of a separate regional health facility in the area.

According to the study, the establishment of the Soccsksargen General Hospital would result in reduced morbidity, lower mortality and savings in terms of medical expenses in the region.

Meanwhile, the Senate also approved the passage of Senate Bill No. 1649, which seeks to upgrade the Bataan Provincial Hospital into a level III teaching and training hospital and Senate Bill No. 1654, which would convert the Bicol Sanitarium in Camarines Sur into a Geriatric and General Medical Center.

Ejercito, who also introduced SBN 1649, said the growing population of Bataan necessitates an upgrade of the Bataan Provincial Hospital to better serve its constituents. The bill would also rename the said facility to Bataan General Hospital.

Senator Francis Escudero, who introduced SBN 1654, said the conversion of the Bicol Sanitarium in Cabusao, Camarines Sur into a geriatric and general medical center would be the first of its kind in the country's public health service. He said the health department had ordered the expansion of all existing sanitaria, including the Bicol Sanitarium, because of the decline in leprosy cases in the country.

"The conversion of the Bicol Sanitarium into a geriatric and general medical center to be known as the Bicol Regional Geriatrict medical Center aims to provide quality, affordable, accessible, comprehensive and exceptional geriatrict healthcare, including other health care services to the other members of the population, particularly in the Bicol Region," according to the bill.

The bill also called for the upgrading of the hospital's existing facilities and professional health care services by increasing its bed capacity to 450 beds and the number of its medical personnel.

The Senate also approved on third and final reading were House Bill 639, which seeks to establish a district hospital in Santa Elena, Camarines Norte; House Bill 1955, which seeks to increase the bed capacity of the Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City from 300 to 500 beds; House Bill No. 2849, which seeks to increase the bed capacity of the Veterans Regional Hospital in Bayombong, Nueva Ecija from 200 to 500 beds as well as upgrade its services, facilities, professional health care, increase its medical personnel and change its name to Region II Trauma and Medical Center;

House Bill No. 4274, which seeks to upgrade the Southern Isabela General Hospital in Santiago City, Isabel into a tertiary general hospital to be known as the Southern Isabela Medical Center; House Bill 5880, which seeks to upgrade the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur; House Bill 6389, which seeks to upgrade the services and facilities of the La Union Medical Center in Agoo, La Union by increasing its bed capacity to 300 beds and establishing a trauma center; House Bill 6619, which seeks to increase the bed capacity of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center from 500 to 800 beds; House Bill 6711, which seeks to upgrade the Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center Extension Hospital in Talavera, Nueva Ecija to a level II hospital and increasing its bed capacity from 50 to 100 beds to be known as the Talavera General Hospital;

House Bill No. 6294, which seeks to increase the bed capacity of the Biliran Provincial Hospital in its proposed relocation site in Barangay Larrazabal, Naval, Biliran from 75 to 200 beds; House Bill 6311, which seeks to increase the bed capacity of the Narra Municipal Hospital in Narra, Palawan from 10 to 100 beds and naming it as the Governor Alfredo Mendoza Abueg, Sr. Memorial Hospital; House Bill No. 6618, which seeks to establish a 100-bed capacity hospital in Barangay Habay 2 in Bacoor, Cavite to be known as the Bacoor District Hospital; House Bill No. 6620, which seeks to increase the bed capacity of St. Anthony Mother and Child Hospital in Cebu City from 25 to 100 and House Bill 6740, which seeks to upgrade the Labuan Public Hospital in Zamboanga City into a level II hospital to be known as the Labuan General Hospital, increasing its bed capacity for general care services to 100 beds. (PM)

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