THE Davao Occidental General Hospital in Barangay Lacaron, Malita was officially opened on Thursday morning, January 26, 2023, after the Department of Health (DOH) granted it a license to operate as a Level 1 Hospital.

Residents of Malita will no longer travel to Davao City for basic health services.

Former Congresswoman and now Vice Governor Lorna Bautista-Bandigan, who also led the project, expressed joy over the operation of the provincial hospital.

According to the vice governor, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go had been involved in its materialization.

She said that Go helped lobby for its creation on the legislative side, especially in the province's need for better health care service.

Bautista-Bandigan also thanked former President Rodrigo Duterte, who approved Republic Act (RA) 11568 --- the bill creating Davao Occidental General Hospital.

A ceremony was held starting with a mass celebration and blessing.

Meanwhile, the phase II building of the hospital is still being constructed and the completion of all the medical equipment is needed so that it can continue to provide services to the people as a Level 2 to Level 3 hospital.

The hospital is the third General Hospital in the Davao Region and it is expected that it will also serve the neighboring provinces of Davao Occidental.

In the current administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the provincial hospital also received aid by providing a 10 percent increase in the budget for the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of the said hospital. JPC