President inaugurates new R1MC facility
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III led the formal inauguration of the Dagupan City-based Region 1 Medical Center’s (R1MC) new emergency room complex on March 15.
The new complex, aside from providing treatment to emergency cases, is also designed to be more responsive to victims of disasters, terrorism, and contagious diseases.
The P24-million project was made possible under the Department of Health’s (DOH) “Kalusugang Pangkalahatan” program, which will also cover the construction of a P1.2-billion new 11-storey building for R1MC starting June.
The initial P4-million cost for the renovation was funded from hospital income.
The old R1MC emergency room was damaged by typhoons in recent years.
Aquino, in his speech, urged the crowd to continue helping his administration saying, “I can’t do all of these alone.”
R1MC Chief Dr. Roland Joseph Mejia, for his part, said the project is “another milestone” of the hospital and that the past three years marked the era of development with regards to the technical and physical upgrades of R1MC.
“This is only the start of modern R1MC,” Mejia added.
The new emergency room complex now offers the following services: a 50-bed capacity for 50 patients; sectionalized into four major clinical departments such as medical, pediatrics, surgical and OB-Gyne; animal bite center; toxicology room with decontamination facilities; isolation room for highly infectious diseases; satellite laboratory and radiology sections; pharmacy; admitting section and medical social services unit; two operating rooms; one delivery room; resuscitation room; counseling room; ambulance bay; spacious lobby which can be utilized to accommodate mass casualty patients; spacious waiting area for watchers; modern equipment and instruments; Health Emergency Management Staff (HEMS) Operation Center (OPCEN) with office and multifunction room.
The President also noted that about 86% of the population is now enrolled under the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and that more than 112,000 households in the province are being benefited by the govenrment’s Pantawid Pamilya Program.
Alongside the President in the inauguration ceremony were Dr. Otto Raguindin and Dr. Gerard Gazmen, Health Secretary Enrique Ona, and several of local government officials.–with report from Johanne R. Macob
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