Guimaras province to upgrade hospitals
The provincial government of Guimaras is planning to upgrade all its provincial and municipal hospitals.
Gov. Felipe Hilan Nava said the provincial government is looking for a supplemental budget to upgrade their hospitals to improve their delivery of services.
The island-province has three hospitals, including the Guimaras Provincial Hospital in San Miguel, Jordan and an extension hospital in Buenavista town, and Nueva Valencia Community Hospital in Brgy. Lanipe, Nueva Valencia.
Nava said each of these hospitals cater to 25 to 30 patients at a time.
But with the dengue outbreak in Guimaras, each hospital has already about 70 patients, some of them crowding the hallways.
Most of the patients have been brought to hospitals in Iloilo City, the governor said.
This is the reason why we are hastening the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Guimaras wharves in Jordan and Buenavista so that patients can be easily transferred to Iloilo City, he said.
The province has municipal rural health units in each of its five municipalities. These are being complemented by the health centers in most barangays that also give free consultations and sometimes free medicines.
Nava said he is working closely with the provincial board to look for funds to upgrade the hospitals.
The funds will be used to procure medicines, additional hospital beds, equipment, and if possible, a new ambulance. The province is also considering the hiring of additional nurses and other medical professionals, he said.
Nava, a medical doctor, said that health is a priority of his administration.*PNA
