BACOLOD City – President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law on June 24 Senate Bill (SB) 1647 establishing the Bacolod General Hospital.
Authored by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, SB 1647, is the counterpart of House Bill (HB) No. 6731, with Cong. Greg Gasataya as its proponent.
“Tuman ang aton kalipay sa madasig nga pag-aprobar sang sini nga hagna,” Gasataya told the press.
He was also invited by the Malacañang to attend the ceremonial signing.
Gasataya bared there were already four prospective lot donors. The Department of Health (DOH) would evaluate the locations.
The Senate has allotted P600 million for the establishment of the Bacolod City General Hospital, which will be included in the 2022 General Appropriations Act under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program of the DOH.
Currently, at least 560,000 Bacolodnons are relying on the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), which caters to the whole of Negros Occidental, at a 400-bed capacity.
“We saw how our hospitals have struggled throughout the (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. They’ve been performing at overcapacity, and our medical frontliners have been severely overworked,” said Zubiri.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia welcomed the development.
“The city will seriously pursue prospective lot donors and, in coordination with Congressman Greg, we hope to finalize soon a deed of donation of an appropriate area,” Leonardia said./PN
