THE proposed 300-bed capacity tertiary Samar Island Medical Center (SIMC) in Eastern Visayas is closer to becoming a reality with the approval of House Bill (HB) 1153 at the House committee level through a virtual hearing on August 12, 2020.
“The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic has highlighted the importance of an effective and comprehensive healthcare system. Government must improve our system and continue working towards accessible healthcare for all,” said Tingog party-list Representative Yedda Marie Romualdez, the chairperson of the House Committee on the Welfare of Children.
In a statement, Romualdez said the proposed tertiary hospital will address the urgent medical needs of Samarnons, especially now with the threat of Covid-19.
"The island of Samar is the third largest island in the country and is also home to three provinces -- Northern Samar, (Western) Samar, and Eastern Samar -- and to a population of more than two million residents. However, there is not a single tertiary government hospital on the island," said Romualdez, who sponsored the bill along with her husband House Majority Leader and Leyte Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
"Patients and their families have to travel four to five hours from Northern Samar, three to four hours from Eastern Samar, and two to three hours from Samar just to get to the nearest government tertiary hospital located in Tacloban (Leyte). With these three provinces already having one of the highest poverty incidence in the country, the availability of accessible and affordable hospital care is one of its most pressing needs," she added.
Citing a report from Department of Health (DOH)-Eastern Visayas Director Minerva Molon, Romualdez said the doctor to patient ratio in Samar Island’s three provinces stands at 1:10,337.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a ratio of 1:1,000.
At present, Eastern Visayas has two retained hospitals under the DOH -- the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City and the Schistosomiasis Research Hospital in Palo, Leyte.
There are also 51 state-owned and 27 privately-owned hospitals in the region while the rest of the government hospitals are provincial and district hospitals and infirmaries owned and managed by the local government units, Romualdez said.
The proposed tertiary hospital will be erected in Calbayog City. (SunStar Philippines)