THE P1.2 billion new hospital building for the Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) will definitely start construction by June, according to Dr. Roland Joseph Mejia, R1MC chief.

In a media briefing last Monday, Mejia announced that the initial fund for the project has been released and the contingency plans are now in place as the new building will be constructed on the space currently occupied by the hospital’s obstetrics ward, surgical ward, and special areas.

“There will be temporary wards for obstetrics and surgery so as not to affect the medical center’s operations,” Mejia said.

The new building will be funded by the national government through the Department of Health and the budget will be released in three tranches and the first one of P392 million has already been released by DOH to R1MC.

It is designed to have state-of-the-art facilities and equipped with a helipad, which is already being examined by the Civil Aviation Authorities Evaluation as the DOH plans to have air ambulance soon.

The 11-storey medical building will house more than 1,000 rooms, each having a floor space of 48 square meters in compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

R1MC is among one of the first four medical centers to receive such facility upgrade as it was able to comply with the DOH Public Private Partnership-fund program requirements early. The others are Cagayan MC, Bicol MC, and Cotabato MC.

Mejia also said President Benigno Aquino III “will visit the hospital for the groundbreaking and for laying of time capsule of the said facility” soon.

OTHER EXPANSION PROJECTS

Construction is planned to be completed within 2.5 years, after which will follow the construction of the 4-5-storey-medical arts building that will serve out patients to be located across the R1MC, a training center at the right wing, a convention center at the back, and a multi-level parking.

Aside from the funding for the building, the DOH will also provide P990-million worth of equipment.

All the DOH-funded projects are in line with the five-year development plan of the present administration’s Universal Health Care program.

Mejia assured that despite the corporatization of the medical center, R1MC is still a government-owned and controlled institution geared towards public service and all services costs will still be based on the financial ability of the patient.

“Ang facility of Region 1, ang mandate po nito aalisin natin ung widening gap between the health care delivery of rich and poor. Dito po ninyo makikita na kahit mahirap ang buhay mo, maganda ho ang paglalagyan sayong bed…napakaganda po ang service ward…wala na pong charity wards kundi PhilHealth wards na po lahat tsaka private rooms,” Mejia said.

CANCER CENTER

Mejia also announced that R1MC is due to receive the approved title of “Corazon Aquino Cancer Center of the North” to serve cancer patients.

“It is a very wise move…that we will establish our own cancer center since Pangasinan is number three most populous province in the entire country,” said Mejia, adding that it will also serve patients from other parts of Region 1, Zambales province, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Meanwhile, a state-of-the-art emergency section is almost complete and will soon be operational.– Johanne R. Macob

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