A LEVEL two hospital that can serve patients from as far as Gingoog City and Camiguin province will soon rise in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.
The Misamis Oriental Medical Center, to be built in Barangay Cogon, Balingasag, is a six-story building hospital owned by the Allied Care Experts (ACE)-Balingasag group, which is composed of 20 doctors of different specializations.
The hospital, according to Clarito Tagarda Cañete, president of ACE-Balingasag group, has 100 bed capacity, ICU, operating room, CT scan, two to three elevators and advanced equipment.
"We find Balingasag very, very in need of health services, especially hospital, because we don't have that much equipment, especially private hospitals in Balingasag. It's not common to find a level two hospital in a rural area," Cañete said.
The groundbreaking and capsule laying of the hospital was held on Wednesday, December 18. It was led by ACE Chairman Amado Manuel Enriquez Jr., Balingasag Mayor Alexis Quina and Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano.
"Congratulations to Balingasag and Misamis Oriental for allowing us, welcoming us, to help you build hospitals here and to the local doctors who really made their way para mabuo itong grupong ito," Enriquez said.
"There are future doctors, every year there are new graduates of different specialties, all of them will be welcomed," he added.
Quina, for his part, said the ACE group can start the construction of the hospital without acquiring any permits. He said they can get the permits after they are done with the construction.
Emano also promised the same thing, saying they will help make the establishment of the Misamis Oriental Medical Center easier.
"If you need any permits now from the Provincial Government, do it also after the construction. We will certainly guarantee that we will help you make it easier. Whatever the province can help, as long as it is for public infrastructure, let us know," Emano said.
The completion of the Misamis Oriental Medical Center, according to Cañete, will be three to five years from its groundbreaking. However, he assured that they will make the construction fast in order to serve their constituents in Balingasag and the neighboring towns soon. )Jo Ann Sablad)