Province receives P230B
The Provincial Health Office (PHO) has received P230 million from the Senate for the construction of a new building for Bogo City Provincial Hospital.
Dr. Rene Catan, provincial health officer, said that Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito, Loren Legarda and Risa Hontiveros allocated the amount for Bogo City upon the request of Provincial Board Member Horacio “Racy” Franco III.
He said they already did the bidding for the first phase of the Bogo City Provincial Hospital, a P70-million project. Another P30 million was allocated by PHO for Bogo City. The other P130 million is included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2018..
“Hopefully, this hospital project in Bogo City will be completed before the end of 2019,” Catan said.
“We are requesting our good senators to allocate funds also for the provincial hospitals in Balamban, Cebu and Danao City,” Catan said.
Catan said that the more than 30 percent of the P4.5-billion budget for 2018 will go to health care.
He said the P1.4-billion budget for 2018 for hospitals and medical services is proof that health care is the number one agenda of the administration of Gov. Hilario Davide III. The Capitol’s order is to improve hospital operations and medical facilities and to deliver health services down to the people in the grassroots.
Catan said that once the provincial hospitals in Bogo City, Danao City, Carcar City and Balamban, Cebu will be capable of conducting surgical operations and other medical services, patients from Cebu Province will not have to be brought any more to hospitals in Cebu City.
This is also the reason the PHO wants the contractor to deliver two sea ambulances by the first quarter of 2018 to immediately bring to the hospitals the patients from Bantayan Islands and Camotes Islands.
“Time is of the essence in bringing people to the hospitals, especially during emergency,” Catan said.
We are requesting our good senators to allocate funds for the provincial hospitals in Balamban, Cebu and Danao City. DR. RENE CATAN Provincial Health Officer