MASANTOL -- After his successful feat on infrastructure development, Mayor Danilo Guintu of this town is set to shift his priority on improving the delivery of healthcare service to his constituents.

Guintu, who is serving his third and last term in office, disclosed the forthcoming construction of a community hospital in town to address the health care needs of Masantoleños, especially those in the remote coastal areas.

“The need to construct a hospital in our town is growing, especially that the Macabebe District Hospital and the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital can hardly accommodate patients due to congestion,” Guintu said.

A P70-million budget is initially being allocated by the local government, in partnership with other concerned government agencies for the construction of the said health facility on a government-owned lot in Barangay Caingin here.

For the operations, Guintu said the local government will propose a tie-up with the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital (JBLMRH) to ensure delivery of quality health services to local patients.

“Our main goal is to provide an immediate healthcare that is easily accessible to our kabalens, especially during emergency situations. Through such, we hope that we can also help in decongesting the Macabebe District Hospital and JBLMRH which caters to hundreds of patients every day,” Guintu said.

The third-termer mayor also noted that the soon-to-be constructed P600-million bridge will also complement the community hospital as it will be more accessible to residents from the left bank portion of Pampanga River.

“With the construction of the bridge, our coastal folks, who are the most deprived of basic healthcare, can have better and faster access to the hospital,” Guintu said.