R1MC up for upgrading, expansion next year
THE Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) here is among 22 government hospitals throughout the country set for upgrading starting next year under a five-year expansion program of the Department of Health (DOH).
Dr. Roland Mejia, R1MC director, said the upgrading program will coincide with the implementation of the five-year expansion of R1MC from 300 beds to 600 beds, contained in a bill filed by 4th District Rep. Gina de Venecia and which has been approved by both houses of Congress.
Mejia expressed confidence that the funding for the expansion of R1MC into a 600-bed capacity will be included in the 2012 General Appropriations Act.
“R1MC is lucky that it is third in the list of 22 DOH-run hospitals throughout the country set for upgrading starting next year,” said Mejia during a press conference on Thursday,” Mejia said.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona has set aside P20 billion for the upgrading of the 22 DOH-administered hospitals.
R1MC, a Level IV Tertiary Hospital, usually operates on more than 100 percent of its capacity, providing medical attention to more than 300 patients at any given time daily.
Mejia said under the expansion program, 60 beds will be added to the hospital every year for the next five years starting 2012 until the additional 300 beds are completed.
The expansion will also cover augmentation in human, technological and physical resources, aimed at making the hospital the most modern of its kind north of Manila.
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Mejia said that being a training and teaching hospital, the only one in Pangasinan, R1MC will soon implement a specialty training program for neuro surgery, consistent with its present status as the trauma center in Region 1.
R1MC is now also eyeing to become a heart, kidney and lung hospital and is set to perform its first kidney transplantation before the end of the year.
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