Provincial Health Office, hospitals want budget hike

CEBU, Philippines -  To improve their health services and facilities, the Cebu Provincial Health Office and government-run hospitals in the province are asking for an increase in their budget for 2016.

During an executive budget hearing on Wednesday, PHO proposed a budget of P473 million in 2016, higher than this year’s P409 million.

The 16 district and provincial hospitals, on the other hand, are also raising their 2016 budget from P297 million in the current year to P349 million next year.

Based on the records from the Provincial Budget Office, the bulk of the proposed budget would go to personal services.

PHO chief Cynthia Genosolango explained that the province would still be hiring more medical specialists in an attempt to regain the level one status of the district hospitals and maintain the current status of provincial hospitals.

“Not just maintain but we are aiming nga maka-upgrade ta to level two sa atong provincial hospitals by 2017. Sa district hospitals, we have to consider the availability of our medical specialists, (which is) the major criterion to be able to provide specialized health care services,” she told The FREEMAN.

Of the 16 government–run hospitals in the province which received a status upgrade in April last year, only the provincial hospitals in the cities of Bogo, Carcar and Danao retained the level one status, while the remaining facilities were “reclassified” as back to their primary care level.

Genosolango said the downgrade of the district hospitals was due to the upscaling of requirements set by the licensing office of the Department of Health.

Among the prerequisites are the 50-bed capacity and the capability to provide services for physical trauma cases or those injuries resulted from vehicular accidents gunshots, and burns.

“Once naa na tay surgeons sa hospitals, then level one ta… We are hiring, looking for means nga maka-incentivize ta nila. But equipment-wise, most of our district hospitals are ready,” Genosolango added.

She noted that some district hospitals are also transferring to new buildings this year to accommodate more patients.

Despite the reclassification of district hospitals, Genosolango said the province still has reason to be happy, because the Cebu Provincial Hospital-Balamban completed the list of provincial hospitals with level one status. This means that the facility can now perform major surgical operations.

The budget hearing last week was attended by representatives from the PHO and province-run hospitals.

Once approved, the health sector, being the top priority of the Capitol, would get the biggest chunk of the province’s budget, said provincial budget officer Danilo Rodas. —/LPM (FREEMAN)