By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Bacolod Representative Greg Gasataya asked the Department of Health (DOH) to speed up the expansion of the bed capacity of the Doña Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (DCLMMRH) amid the increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 cases here.
Gasataya said the expansion will address the lack of beds in private hospitals in the city due to the rapid spike of COVID cases in the city.
The spiraling cases prompted the National Inter-Agency Task Force against COVID-19 to place the city under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).
Gasataya said that in 2019, he authored Republic Act 11441 which sought to increase the bed capacity and personnel of DCLMMRH which is ran by the DOH.
The Bacolod lawmaker said DOH Undersecretary Mario Villaverde assured him that they will look for funds to be utilized for the purpose.
Villaverde, according to Gasataya, also said that DOH will increase the allocation to CLMMRH to upgrade its facility as a government referral hospital that caters to patients not only from the city but from the province of Negros Occidental.
The funds will come from the Bayanihan 2 Act and foreign assistance from the World Bank due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gasataya said.
Meanwhile, Gasataya also cited DOH Regional Director Dr. Marlyn Convocar as saying that seven ambulances will be given to Bacolod.
Gasataya said he requested Convocar to speed up the release of the ambulances because these are needed after the city has been placed under MECQ.
