DOH Secretary bares
plans to turn EVRMC into a modern medical center
|
Health
secretary Enrique Ona (center) answers questions from the media
during a press conference held at Leyte Park Hotel, Tacloban
City, March 15. Also in photo are (l-r) presscon moderator PIA-8
regional director Olive Tiu, PhilHealth regional vice-president
Jerry Ibay, DOH 8 assistant regional director Minerva Molon and
DOH regional director Jaime Bernadas.
(VINO R. CUAYZON) |
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
March
17, 2012
TACLOBAN CITY –
There is a plan to transfer the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical
Center into a bigger location and to develop it into a modern,
state-of-the-art medical center.
This was disclosed by
Health Secretary Enrique Ona during the Harampang Ha PIA press
conference held at Leyte Park Hotel in the morning of March 15.
Secretary Ona said
that the plan to transfer the EVRMC to another location is part of the
DOH policy to ensure a better and more efficient health service to the
public.
Considering that EVRMC
is serving the entire region, it has to have better facilities and
bigger space to cater to the growing health need of the people of
Eastern Visayas, Secretary Ona said.
“We have here a
catchment population of about 4 million. In any language, the region
no longer needs an ordinary hospital. You really need facilities and
health services that are also available in
Manila
so that the people would no longer go to
Manila or
Cebu,” Secretary Ona said.
According to him,
considering that the project is a big undertaking, the amount to
bankroll the project would also involve a bigger amount as he
projected it to cost about P3 billion.
Since this is a big
project, Secretary Ona said that he does not expect the relocation to
be completed soon. The project cannot be realized within two years but
within the term of the present administration.
Secretary Ona
mentioned that DOH is eyeing the unfinished hospital at Barangay
Cabalawan in Tacloban to be the site of EVRMC. In fact, the Secretary
and his party were scheduled to visit the site after the press
conference.
The Secretary,
however, said that the site is just one of the options. He disclosed
that he has requested Leyte Governor Petilla for a site and the
Governor pledged to look into the matter.
The Secretary said
that his visit to Leyte is part of his routine visits to the various
regional offices as he looks into the progress of the DOH Health
Facilities Enhancement program implementation.
