Go seeks passage of hospital measures

SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go pushed for the passage of two House bills (HBs) that seek to improve two government hospitals.

HB 6036 and HB 6144 were approved during a committee hearing last week,

In his sponsorship speech during the Senate plenary session, Go said HB 6036 seeks to increase the bed capacity of the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC), a Level 3 hospital in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan that caters to patients from Region 2 and nearby provinces of Cordillera Administrative Region, such as Apayao, Kalinga and Ifugao.

In 2018, CVMC recorded 16,155 hospital admissions. From 2018 to 2019, it had an average bed occupancy rate of 158 percent, much higher than the national standard of 85 percent.

HB 6036 seeks to increase the bed capacity of CVMC from 500 to 1,000.

Meanwhile, HB 614 aims to increase the bed capacity of the Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center (LPGH-STC).

The LPGH is a 200- bed hospital that serves the cities of Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pasay, and Bacoor and Imus in Cavite.

Its bed occupancy rate from 2018 to 2019 averaged at 110.53 percent, above the national standard of 85 percent.

“Thus, the need to upgrade from 200 beds to 500 beds,” Go said.

“As we face the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease2019) pandemic, it is crucial to improve our government health facilities,” he added.

The senator said overcrowding in public hospitals has been one of the weaknesses of the country’s healthcare system.

He noted that in 2018, almost 65 percent or 284 out of 437 public hospitals were overcrowded. This included 51 or 73 percent of hospitals run by the Department of Health.

The Health department expressed its support to the passage of the bills.

“It is for these reasons that I am seeking this Chamber’s support for the immediate passage of these measures,” Go said.