ILOILO – The provincial government is upgrading the bed capacity of the Jesus M. Colmenares Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Tingui-an, Balasan town and Barotac Viejo District Hospital in Barangay San Lucas, Barotac Viejo.
The goal is to make these district hospitals operate as local economic enterprises, said Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, also the chief of the provincial government’s Hospital Management Office.
This is in line with a Department of Interior and Local Government order to make district hospitals financially viable and receive no more subsidy from the provincial government, said Banias.
The provincial government of Iloilo has 12 district hospitals.
The Jesus M. Colmenares Memorial District Hospital is currently a 25-bed capacity hospital. But Banias said it has an average occupancy rate per day of between 120 to 150 patients – over 400 percent higher than what it is designed to accommodate.
The plan is to make it a 75-bed capacity hospital, said Banias.
The upgrade, though, won’t strain the hospital’s workforce; it has more than enough staff, he clarified.
On the other hand, Barotac Viejo District Hospital will be upgraded to a 25-bed capacity hospital from its current 10-bed capacity.
Banias said the upgrading plan would be finalized next month.
In 2017, two district hospitals expanded their bed capacity and acquired more facilities – the Dr. Ricardo Y. Ladrido Memorial District Hospital in the municipality of Lambunao and the Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Calinog./PN
