25 hospitals to benefit from DOH modernization program

MANILA, Philippines - Three public hospitals in Cagayan Valley, Bicol and Cotabato City were among the 25 medical centers nationwide to benefit from the P1.03-B modernization program of the Department of Health.

The project is part of an ongoing program that ensures the primary, secondary and tertiary care programs of the DOH becomes available to all, according to Health Secretary Enrique Ona.

On Thursday, the DOH signed a contract for the project that will benefit the Cagayan Valley Medical Center, Bicol Medical Center and Cotabato Regional Medical Center.

Ona said apart from upgrading the facilities, the bed capacity of these hospitals would be increased with the construction of  new buildings.

“The acquisition of state-of-the art equipment for the hospitals had already commenced as a parallel project,” he said

The Health chief said 25 DOH hospitals were targeted for modernization under the term of Pres. Aquino.

He gave assurance that even the health facilities under the local government units like the rural health units, district and provincial hospitals have been benefiting from the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).

DOH Undersecretary Ted Herbosa said the budget for the projects would come from the agency’s 2012 General Appropriation Act.

DOH records showed that from 2010 to 2013, HFEP had spent some P33 billion for 4,518 health facilities, mostly under the supervision of the LGUs.

HFEP funding had increased by 317 percent or from P3.25 billion in 2010 to P13.56 billion this year.

Under the project, a five-storey new building will be constructed at the CVMC while its bed capacity will increase by 300 beds. 

The CRMC will have a new four-storey building that would increase its bead capacity by 500, while an eight-storey main hospital building was proposed for the BMC.