BY MARCH this year, the intensive care unit (ICU) of the city-run JR Borja General Hospital (JRBGH) will finally be operational.

JRBGH finance officer Amelia Milvar told the committee on health and sanitation in a meeting last week, that the eight-bed ICU will be opened in the first week of March.

Milvar said the scheduled opening was delayed due to minor repairs in the facility, such as broken floor tiles. She said these minor issues should be completed before the ICU opens, as required by the License to Operate issued to the hospital earlier.

The City and the Department of Health is also set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) so the city can utilize the allocated P198 million under the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) for the city hospital.

HFEP are funds provided to health care facilities of the local government units for the upgrading of health facilities as well as providing training to health professionals to improve the access of people to quality health care.

The partnership will cover the P198-million budget for the completion of the infrastructure projects lined up this year for the city hospital.