Gwen: P50M for hospital upgrading

The Cebu Provincial government has allocated P50 million for this year’s upgrading of facilities in 16 district hospitals.

Gov. Gwen Garcia announced on Friday that she has authorized the release of P3 million to each of the district hospitals.

The Department of Health (DOH) is also allocating P2 million each for 10 district hospitals that they are yet to select.

“We do intend to implement the (upgrading) project per hospital this year,” she said.

Of the 16 district hospitals, four would be upgraded to a provincial hospital. These are the district hospitals in the cities of Carcar, Bogo and Danao and the municipality of Balamban.

From its existing 10-bed capacity, the four hospitals would be upgraded into a 25-bed capacity hospital to also upgrade its stature from being a primary to secondary to tertiary hospital.

Personnel in a primary hospital can treat emergency cases while those in a secondary hospital could perform minor surgeries.

Garcia promised to complete the upgrading of status of the four hospitals before her term ends on May 2013.

The provincial government already started with the upgrading of the Carcar City hospital from secondary to a tertiary hospital that is capable of handling more serious medical cases like bone fructures. It would be re-oepend on May 27.

Garcia said she intends to later assign a portion of the hospital to serve as consultation clinics for medical specialist free of charge.

In exchange, Garcia said she would be asking these doctors to also render their expertise to the Carcar Provincial Hospital as consultants.

“With the influx of tourists coming to the different towns in the province, there is now a need to put up private rooms to cater their needs,” said Garcia.