Unfinished Alaminos hospital offered as drug rehab center
ALAMINOS CITY—The city mayor is offering to the national government the use of a partially finished, unused city-owned hospital complex in Barangay Bolaney as a drug rehabilitation center.
Mayor Arthur Celeste told The PUNCH that he is aware of the inability of the national government to open and operate enough rehab centers to immediately support the needs of thousands of drug users that surrendered so the unused facility in the city can help fill the gap.
Alaminos City’s offer to the national government to use as a drug rehab center in Pangasinan.
The building was intended by his predecessor, former Mayor Hernani Braganza, as city hospital.
“But I do not want to manage a city hospital. The city cannot afford the expenses. I don’t see any point in having a city hospital when the provincial government-owned Western Pangasinan District Hospital is already situated in our city,” Celeste said.
There are about six buildings built in the area for the supposed city hospital complex. One was already converted into a first-class birthing facility while another is occupied by the Department of Social Welfare and Development as its crisis intervention center.
Celeste added that the previous administration availed itself of a loan to bankroll the complex’s construction and is paying its amortization.
“If we can make good arrangement with the national government for its conversion into a drug rehabilitation center, that would be a welcome development,” he said.
He added that the city government is open to negotiations with the national government to make the idle structures become useful. (Tita Roces)
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