THE proposal to increase the bed capacity of Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital was approved on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, by the Committee on Health of the House of Representatives.
House Bill No. 4763, authored by Third District Rep. Jose Francisco " Kiko" Benitez, proposes to increase the bed capacity of TLJPH from 100 beds to 300 beds and upgrade its services and facilities and authorize the increase of its medical personnel.
In his bill, Benitez said the existing service facilities and professional health care services of the TLJPH are upgraded to conform with and be commensurate to the bed capacity increase.
Benitez further stated that the hospital's authorized bed capacity is 100 beds, however, based on data from the hospital, its bed occupancy rate in 2018 was 300 percent higher than its capacity. The number of inpatients in the same year totaled 22,014 or 60 patients admitted every day, staying for five days on average.
"Clearly, the TLJPH urgently needs an augmentation in its facilities and personnel to meet the high demand for health care in the Province of Negros Occidental and prevent the unnecessary loss of life," Benitez said. (TDE)