GOVERNOR Arthur Defensor Sr. inaugurated the new two-story building of Don Valerio Palmares Sr. Memorial District Hospital (DVPSMDH) in Passi City, Iloilo and led the groundbreaking for another two-story building on Wednesday, April 3.
The newly-completed two-story building costs P9.3 million. It temporarily serves as the new hospital building, as the old facility built in 1972 would be demolished to pave the way for the construction of a new two-story building.
The soon to rise two-story building costs P31 million. It will house the medical wards and the emergency room.
Both facilities were funded under the Hospital Efficiency Assurance through Reform and Transformation (Heart) program of the Defensor administration.
Dr. Robert Gerard C. Yusay, DVPSMDH chief, thanked the Provincial Government for the “greatest leap in the improvement of the hospital.”
“This day is very special. These changes are aimed at improving our delivery of services,” Yusay said.
The event was also attended by the heirs of Don Valerio Palmares Sr. who donated the lot where the hospital is located.
Mary Jean Palmares-Henson, eldest granddaughter of Don Valerio Palmares Sr., thanked the governor for being one of those instrumental in renaming the hospital after her grandfather.
When Defensor came back as governor in 2010, he vowed to transform all 12 district hospitals run by the province as “hospitals for the poor.”
And since 2010, the Defensor administration spent more than P2 billion in the rehabilitation and upgrading of these hospitals.
The province also hired additional P1,600 personnel to improve the services of the 12 hospitals.
“In so far as the health of the people in the province is concerned, I gave it my best shot,” he said. (PR)