A NEW primary health care facility that will accommodate 150 patients will be constructed on a 6,000-square-meter lot in Barangay Poblacion, City of Naga, Cebu by the end of 2024.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the city’s 150-bed capacity health facility was held on Thursday, July 27, 2023 at the Naga Reclamation Area.
Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong told SunStar Cebu that the facility will have an estimated cost of P350 million.
Chiong said the total budget was approved through a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
The facility is expected to provide improved healthcare services to the residents of the city, Chiong said.
He said the office of Senator Francis Tolentino also downloaded P50 million to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to begin the first phase of the construction.
“The facility will accommodate residents from neighboring municipalities, with priority given to the city’s residents,” Chiong said.
According to the World Health Organization, primary health care ensures people receive quality comprehensive care — ranging from promotion and prevention to treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care — as close as feasible to people’s everyday environment.
114,000 doctors needed
During the ceremony, Tolentino said the country currently needs 114,000 doctors and emphasized that it would take 23 years to produce such numbers.
He said by the time half of the 23 years have elapsed, many doctors may have already retired or gone abroad. He urged all local government units (LGUs) to prioritize healthcare services.
“Cebu has been doing the words of the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 command,” Chiong added citing section 16 [c] of the LGC which provides for the empowerment of LGUs to build hospitals.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia thanked Tolentino for helping finance the construction and also assured Chiong that the Capitol will provide counterpart funds.
“What we really need is services for healthcare. Who wants to get sick? But if it does happen, especially to our less fortunate brothers and sisters, we are happy that there is a facility here that can provide adequate services,” Garcia said in Cebuano.
Tolentino also turned over one 1,000-gallon-capacity fire truck to the Bureau of Fire Protection in the city, represented by BFP regional director Roberto Genave.
Also present at the event were First District Representative Rhea Mae Gullas, Carcar City Mayor Patrick Barcenas, and San Fernando Mayor Mythia Canoy. (AML)