BY GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – The city government broke ground on Friday for the five-storey Iloilo City Hospital and Medical Arts Building in Barangay San Pedro, Molo district.
When it becomes operational, the hospital will address the gaps in the city’s healthcare system, said former senator Franklin Drilon who graced the ceremony.
The coronavirus pandemic, he said, exposed the inadequacies of the country’s healthcare system, and specifically the lack of hospitals.
This “resulted in the death of hundreds…Galibot-libot ang pasyente para kakita sang ospital. Kag indi lang ina. Ang mga pasyente naga-alalawas na sa hospital parking lot,” he lamented.
Drilon specifically cited healthcare system challenges – the availability (of lack of) hospital beds, the number healthcare personnel, and corruption.
Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), he said the standard ratio is three hospital beds for every 1,000 people.
The current population of the country is 110 million, but there are only 105,000 hospital beds nationwide, said Drilon.
The country needs about 230,000 hospital beds to close the gap, he stressed.
Drilon lauded the city government for putting up its own hospital.
“This is important. Let me put on record my admiration for Mayor Jerry Treñas for taking the initiative. This is not an easy task. That is why he has tempered down the expectations by just initially planning for a 70-bed hospital on a loan of P500 million from DBP (Development Bank of the Philippines),” said Drilon.
The province and city of Iloilo have a combined population of over 2.5 million, and the bed capacity needed is 7,500.
Currently, the city and province have a total of 3,100 existing hospital beds – 2,278 are in Iloilo province and 813 in Iloilo City. The gap is around 4,500 hospital beds.
“These 70 initial hospital beds of the city hospital, if we look at the overall need, gamay pa. But Mayor Jerry is taking the initiative kay kabudlay magpadalagan sang hospital,” Drilon added.
On the capacity to construct, he said the city government should seriously consider a public-private partnership (PPP) program.
To address the issue on the lack of personnel, Drilon encouraged Treñas to consider the possibility of providing scholarships to medical students on condition that they will serve the city.
According to Treñas, the city will have a memorandum of agreement with nursing and medical schools for their students to be trained at the city hospital.
The target completion of the city hospital will be within two years, with a 200-bed capacity, up from the initial target of only 70.
The hospital will include departments such as Emergency, Out-patient, Surgical, Obstetrics, and an Executive Administrative Department.
Treñas said the city hospital will prioritize city residents, but in cases of emergency, it will not turn down patients from the province.
Senate President Miguel Zubiri who also graced the groundbreaking committed to support the city hospital. He initially facilitated P200 million.
Also at the groundbreaking were Iloilo City’s Cong. Julienne Baronda and Uswag party-list’s Cong. Jojo Ang./PN
