Hospital bill gains Senate support

THE proposed laws upgrading the bed capacity of Eversley Childs Sanitarium in Mandaue City and establishing a hospital in Cordova are gaining support in the Senate.

Rep. Luigi Quisumbing (Cebu, sixth district), proponent of the bills, said Sen. Pia Cayetano, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, has expressed support for House Bill (HB) 5200, which seeks to establish a 25-bed hospital in Cordova.

Quisumbing said the Department of Health has also endorsed HB 1801, which seeks to increase the bed capacity of Eversley Childs Sanitarium from 50 to 100 beds.

Both bills were heard by the Senate committee last Jan. 31. Present during the hearing were Cordova Municipal Health Officer Dr. Christopher Calimbas and Dr. Sophia Mancao, medical specialist of Center for Health Development-Central Visayas.

Quisumbing, in a press statement, said residents of Cordova, a third-class municipality, rely on the municipal health office for consultations, treatment, immunization and even surgery. There is no hospital in the town.

"With an increasing and dynamic population, the demand for affordable and accessible health care services is on the rise. We have to underscore the need to establish and upgrade hospitals in our district to address the health needs of our constituents," the congressman said.

Quisumbing said his office is working with local government units and other concerned agencies to ensure the welfare of his constituents.

"With this development and the endorsement of the Department of Health, we are positive that our measures will be passed and our constituents can be assured of better hospital facilities and professional healthcare services," he said.