Senate passes 30 bills for building, upgrade of hospitals
The Senate passed on second reading last Thursday at least 30 bills that seek to improve, develop or establish public hospitals in different parts of the country.
Sen. Bong Go, chair of the Senate committee on health and who sponsored the bills, cited the need to continue building on the progress made by the country to improve its health care system in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Most of our regions are already under the minimal risk case classification. The majority of our cities are also under Alert Level 1. Let us not put to waste the efforts and sacrifices of our government employees, health care workers, frontliners as well as the cooperation and discipline of every Filipino,” Go said in his sponsorship speech.
The bills passed on second reading seek to increase the bed capacity of hospitals in Baguio City; Puerto Princesa City; Tagum City; Ilagan City; Concepcion, Tarlac; Silay City; Binidayan, Lanao del Sur; Wato-Balindong, Lanao del Sur; Tayug, Pangasinan; Tanauan City; Magsingal, Ilocos Sur; Mangatarem, Pangasinan; Loon, Bohol; Roxas, Oriental Mindoro; Malabang, Lanao del Sur; Cuenca, Batangas and Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Two bills wanted to convert the Governor Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City into a MultiSpecialty Medical Complex and the Oriental Mindoro Central District Hospital into a provincial hospital.
The Senate also approved the bills that seek to upgrade the Lipa City District Hospital in Batangas into a Level II Hospital; Orani District Hospital in Bataan into a Level II General Hospital and the Novaliches District Hospital in Quezon City into a Level II Hospital.
Other bills approved on second reading include measures to establish or improve hospitals in Bulacan; Iloilo City; Liloan, Cebu; Kalibo, Aklan; Tagaytay City; Panabo City, Davao del Norte; Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental and Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.
Go has so far sponsored 39 laws aimed at upgrading existing government hospitals and establishing new ones.