THE Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) plans to increase its bed capacity from 1,500 to 2,000 to better accommodate the growing number of patients.
Dr. Ricardo B. Audan, SPMC’s Medical Center Chief, announced the expansion plans during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday, December 18, 2024. He highlighted the pressing need for additional beds, noting that the hospital has resorted to placing beds in hallways to manage the surge of patients.
“Very congested lalo na sa E.R., in fact, naga alley me sa wards, meaning naa sa hallway for that (It’s very congested, especially in the Emergency Room (E.R.). In fact, we’ve had to set up beds in the hallways)," Audan said. "Imagine SPMC is the only government DOH in Davao City ang next government is in Tagum (Imagine, SPMC is the only government DOH hospital in Davao City. The next nearest government hospital is in Tagum),” he said.
Audan shared that in April 2024, he presented SPMC’s application for the bed capacity increase to the Lower House of Congress, which has since approved it. However, he acknowledged that the process will take time.
He appealed to lawmakers for continued support to fast-track the approval, emphasizing that the budget increase tied to the expansion will not only fund the additional beds but also cover the manpower needed to manage the 500 new slots.
SPMC, one of the largest government hospitals in the country, is also set to add around 675 more beds with the completion of new buildings within its compound.
In a related development, the hospital inaugurated a five-story Pahulayan building on November 9, 2024. The facility offers accommodation for patients' watchers, particularly those traveling from outside Davao City. RGP