Mayor mulls over city hospital construction

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Establishing a city hospital may be possible, the mayor said Tuesday, adding that some circumstances should be considered as well.

Mayor Oscar Rodriguez said the need to establish a city hospital has to be carefully studied.

The proposal to construct a city hospital was raised by some local Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidates led by councilor aspirant Purificacion Bamba on Friday before Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, as they noted that the Jose B. Lingad Regional Memorial Hospital, the only public hospital in this city, is becoming congested for attending patients from all over Central Luzon.

Gonzales agreed with Bamba’s proposal and said the city should have its own city hospital to further improve health care services given to Fernandinos.

“Urbanized cities would at least have their own hospitals. It is high time that we establish one for the city,” Gonzales said, while professing to support the financial and other logistical requirements of the hospital, estimated at some P50 million, including dialysis and chemotherapy centers, as soon as the formal feasibility studies are completed.

“The hospital may be handled by the city or by non-government groups. The objective is to prioritize indigent patients and be the center for medical and social services mission of non-government organizations like Rotary, Quota International to name a few,” Gonzales said, adding they would meet with concerned officials from the Department of Health and non-governmental groups soon.

But Rodriguez said there are sufficient hospitals in the city and that the City Government has been well on its track on healthcare for Fernandinos as its top agenda.

“The second concern here is the budget of the city if ever. How will they sustain that if the city would not fund part of it especially maintenance? Iyung building madaling gawin iyun but what about the equipment? What about the personnel? What about the need and supply of medicines? Madaling sabihin pero medyo kumplikadong gawin. Kailangan pag-aralang mabuti iyan,” Rodriguez said.

He said a city hospital would eat up a large “chunk of funds and such funding requirements will continuously grow.”

Instead, he said, the local government opted to put up mini-hospitals in several areas to meet the medical needs of constituents.

He said the claim that the healthcare needs of Fernandinos are not sufficiently addressed will be resolved with the mini-hospitals now on construction.

“Definitely education and healthcare will remain as our top agenda. Mandatory ito sa atin at sa aming galaw. Iyan ang aming puntirya at iyan ang aming ginagawa. I see no problem with that,” Rodriguez concluded.

Trending

No stories found.

Just in

No stories found.

Branded Content

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph