Senate okays establishment, conversion, upgrading of 15 hospitals nationwide

The Senate today approved 15 local bills seeking to improve the healthcare system in the country by establishing new hospitals, converting Department of Health (DOH)-operated sanitariums into general hospitals and upgrading the bed capacity of hospitals across the country.

Sen. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, chairman of the Committee on Health and Demography and sponsor of the measures, cited the need to improve the country's healthcare delivery system, particularly in the countryside, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The pandemic made us realize how important it is to invest in health. We face difficulty today because of decades of neglect. Today we realize our lack of hospitals, bed capacity and equipment. We need to strengthen our health facilities because we do not know when another pandemic would hit us. Let us not wait for our healthcare system to breakdown before we do something about it," Go stressed.

He said establishing hospitals run by the national government should not be treated as a burden but rather as an investment.

"I want to note that these new hospitals already had or have funding for the initial construction and all of them have lots ready to be donated to the DOH. Availability of accessible and affordable hospital care is one of its most pressing needs," Go said.

"It is also important to emphasize that all these hospitals for upgrading have funding in the 2022 General Appropriations Act, including budget under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program which may be used to already improve the services in these hospitals," he added.

Approved were House Bill No. 7952 or An Act Establishing a Multi-Specialty Hospital in Tayabas, Quezon, to be Known as the Southern Luzon Multi-Specialty Medical Center; House Bill No. 8227 or An Act Establishing a Tertiary General Hospital in Abulug, Cagayan Valley, to be Known as the Northwestern Cagayan General Hospital; House Bill No. 8270 or An Act Establishing in Candon, Ilocos Sur, a Tertiary Hospital, to be Known as the Ilocos Sur Medical Center; House Bill No. 8606 or An Act Establishing in Bocaue, Bulacan, a General Hospital to be known as the Joni Villanueva General Hospital; House Bill No. 8668 or An Act Establishing a General Hospital in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental to be known as the Northeastern Misamis General Hospital (NMGH); House Bill No. 8195 or An Act Establishing in Calbayog, Samar, a Tertiary Hospital to be Known as the Samar Island Medical Center;

House Bill No. 7971 or An Act Converting the Cotabato Sanitarium in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao into a General Hospital; House Bill No. 8228 or An Act Converting the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Daraga, Albay into a General and Subspecialty Hospital, to be Known as the Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center; House Bill No. 8893 or An Act Converting the Western Visayas Sanitarium in Santa Barbara, Iloilo, into a General Hospital to be Known as the Western Visayas Sanitarium and General hospital; House Bill No. 8892 or an Act Converting the Sulu Sanitarium in Jolo, Sulu into a General Hospital to be Known as the Sulu Sanitarium and General Hospital; House Bill No. 9074 or An Act converting the Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospital in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, into a Tertiary Hospital to be Known as the Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center;

House Bill No. 7974 or An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City Amending for the purpose Republic Act. No. 7938 as amended by RA 10677, and appropriating funds therefor; House Bill No. 7975 or An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City from 1,200 to 1,500 beds; House Bill No. 8225 or an Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija from 400 to 1,000 beds and House Bill No. 9073 or An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando City, La Union, from 300 to 800 beds.