THE lack of sufficient water supply has reportedly hampered the completion of the controversial J.R. Borja Memorial City Hospital annex building in Barangay Carmen in Cagayan de Oro City.
This was discovered by Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Constantino Jaraula himself when he conducted an ocular inspection Monday to assess the status of the on-going construction of the four-storey, 400-bed capacity hospital.
“How can a hospital operate without water?” a visibly irked Jaraula told hospital administrator Nena Salon, acting city administrator Griscelda Joson, city engineer Jorie Bingona and other top hospital officials who accompanied him in the inspection.
After touring the hospital facility, Jaraula blew his top upon learning from project manager Engr. Francisco Alover on the problem on water supply.
The mayor recommended the installation of a water tank atop the building in order to ensure steady supply of water once the hospital is in full operation.
“Roofing on the fourth floor and stairways must also be prioritized because this has caused flooding problem in the past that affect the lower levels of the building,” Jaraula added.
Even with the water problem, Salon said at least 100 out of the 400 beds available on the second and third floors are basically “ready for occupancy”. The hospital’s operating room and delivery room are located on the ground floor.
Earlier, Jaraula strongly lobbied for the release of the P62 million subsidy from the National Government through the Department of Health as pledge by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in August 2007.
Of the amount, P22 million is allocated for the construction of the annex building of the hospital while the remaining P40 million will be used for the upgrading and expansion of the city’s 22 barangay health centers.