AFTER decades of planning and preparations, a 100-bed, fully equipped Subic General Hospital was finally set to rise in Subic, Zambales with the groundbreaking ceremony held on Wednesday, January 26.
In his message during the ceremony, Mayor Jonathan John Khonghun said, “It was the dream that was first conceptualized during the first year in office of our father, former mayor, now Congressman Jeffrey Khonghun.”
Khonghun said when he was elected as mayor of Subic in 2019, one of the many priority projects of his administration was the construction of the general hospital. However, the project was deferred due to the spread of coronavirus that year.
“But because of Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen the importance of health care system,” he noted, adding: “Today, we are holding this ground breaking ceremony to officially making that dream a reality. A dream come true that will benefit the people of Subic and those from the northern municipalities of Zambales.”
The proposed Subic General Hospital will be constructed inside the 5,000-square-meter land space along main road in Sitio Mapanao in Barangay Cawag.
The land, which was used to be a fish farm, was developed and donated by Wilfredo Tan, president of Fiesta Communities Inc.
Expected to be fully operational in two to three years, the two-story hospital has a floor area of 2,400 square meters and has a capacity of 100 beds, complimented with four-bed treatment area, four-bed observation area, operating room, sterilization room, isolation room and other functional rooms, wards and areas. The total budget allocated was P100 million.
For easy access to and from the functional rooms and areas, the new hospital will have three public elevators, one service elevator and three public stairs.
Meanwhile, Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane congratulated Mayor John Khonghun, his brother Vice Governor Jay Khonghun and Representative Jeffrey Khonghun (First District, Zambales) for the concerted efforts in facilitating the construction of first hospital in Subic.
“This hospital is a work of the good leader who knows what should be done for the betterment of his constituents and the people of the whole province,” Ebdane said.
Also present during the ceremony were Khonghun, DOH Assistant Secretary Ma. Francia Laxamana, DOH Regional Director Corazon Flores, Wilfredo Tan, provincial board members, and other local officials.
Laxamana expressed her full support of the project and promised to extend all necessary assistance that the DOH could extend to the newly constructed hospital. (Ric Sapnu)