Senate okays bill hiking VSMMC’s bed capacity

CEBU, Philippines - The Senate has passed on January 25 Senate Bill No. 2767 seeking to increase the bed capacity of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center from 800 to 1,200.

The House of Representatives also adopted last Monday, Feb. 1, the Senate bill sponsored by Senator Teofisto Guingona III when it was sent to the Lower House for concurrence.

The Lower House passed on December 15, 2014 House Bill 5276, authored by Cebu City north district Rep. Raul del Mar, seeking to increase VSMMC’s current bed capacity from 800 to 1,200.

 The approved bill was submitted to the Senate on December 17, 2014.

 It is an amendment to Republic Act No. 8658 which also increased the hospital’s bed capacity from the original 400 to the current 800.

 Statistical data revealed that over the past 10 years, the occupancy rate of the hospital has been steadily increasing from 100 percent to 121.95 percent.

 Because of the increasing cost of medical care in private hospitals and the lack of facilities and services in government district hospitals, del Mar said more patients flock to VSMMC.

 VSMMC, the biggest government hospital in Central Visayas, does not only serve patients from Cebu but also caters to those from other regions in the Visayas and Mindanao.   Guingona agreed with del Mar that although the VSMMC continues to improve its services, its present capacity prevents it from fully serving its increasing number of patients.

 “This proposed measure go hand in hand with the Department of Health’s thrust to provide universal health care to Filipinos dubbed as ‘Kalusugang Pangkalahatan’ through health facilities enhancement to improve access to quality care,” said Guingona.

 Under the bill, the amount necessary to carry out the provisions shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law. — (FREEMAN)