Provl Govt. To Construct P380M Provl Hospital In Dungon

June 15,2010
Provincial Government To Construct P380M Prov’l Hospital In Dungon
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The Provincial Govt. of Southern Leyte thru the initiative of incumbent second-termer Governor Damian Mercado will construct in a one hectare lot, with additional financial assistance from Congressman Roger Mercado, a new P380M provincial hospital in brgy. Dungon here.Brgy. Dungon is less than 15 minutes drive by a four-wheel vehicle from the city proper.
This was revealed by the Provincial Administrator Crispin Arong,Jr. in an interview recently.
He disclosed that the use of the one hectare lot intended for the new provincial hospital has ample spaces for parking lot and for further expansion of other additional infrastructures when there’s the urgency. This is in contrast to the old provincial hospital in brgy, Manahan where any expansion of infrastructure would be difficult to achieve because it is constructed near a hill and houses.
He said that the provincial government has purchased 3.6 hectares worth P10M from the V&G Housing Corporation whose interest for the proposed housing units Subdivision in brgy.Dungon was aborted due to the previous economic slump when buying of real estate properties have lulled.
Arong said that the contractor of the project has now started to fence the lot and digging of holes will follow for the building’s foundations.
He said the project’s construction has two phases. Phase one work has a budget of P100M for the first floor with ward rooms. Phase two with a budget of P280M which is the second floor of the new hospital will house the allied health services, administrative offices and additional wards that can accommodate from 150 to 200 beds in its totality.
The Provincial Administrator said the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) has already submitted the plan to the Department of Health regional Office.However, the health office was asking for the blueprint of the 2 separate buildings for the laundry and the motor pool.
He said approximately a few days after IPHO could submit the other requirements, it would take less than a week to approve and grant them the permit to start constructing the new two-storey edifice.
He said that part of the budget was set aside for the Provincial Engineers Office personnel who will supervise and monitor the project’s construction until its completion.
Although he could not tell exactly how many months or years would it take to finish the construction of the new provincial hospital, he said. But once the entire construction of the two-storey building would be finished, some operating room’s equipments at the old ones would be transferred to Dungon.
He pointed out the provincial government want the tertiary level 2 hospital to reach level 3 by providing improved health services to the public in the near future .He implied that they shall also be hiring additional doctors who could help realized their goals and expectations to man the new provincial hospital.
He said the provincial government shall also be buying new medical equipments and will provide training for personnel to make them knowledgeable and competent in handling the equipments.
He emphasized that the old hospital will remain operational for patients of minor cases but major cases would be referred to the new provincial hospital which was located along the road.
Furthermore, he said that the remaining 2.6 hectares vacant lot are reserved for whatever projects the provincial government intends to do in the future.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)