Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum turns medical center

CITY OF TAGUM, Davao del Norte, Aug. 27 (PIA)--- Davao Regional  Hospital  located in Apokon, Tagum City  has been declared Davao Regional Medical Center as President Benigno S. Aquino signed yesterday (Aug. 26) Republic Act No. 10678 which levels up DRH status as a medical center.

                Davao del Norte 1^st District Congressman Antonio Rafael G. del Rosario this morning revealed  the update on  his sponsored House Bill No. 67  seeking to level up Davao Regional Hospital into a medical center with increased bed-capacity from 200 to 600.

                In his speech during this morning’s inauguration ceremony of DRH new hospital facilities and equipment,  Del Rosario  said that HB 67 was filed in the House of Representatives in July 2013 and that  the House approved it a year after.

                He gave due credit to Compostela Valley House Representative Maria Carmen Zamora-Mabanglo whom he worked in tandem with , in pushing for the approval of such Bill.

                HB 67 got the approval of the Philippine Senate in May 2015 with the sponsorship of Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III who heads the Senate Committee on Health, Del Rosario said.

                With  the upgrading  of Davao Regional Hospital, medical center chief, Dr.  Romulo Busuego  expected an increase of about 30 percent from the current P52 million budget allocation for operating expenses.

                He said such increase in allocation can now somehow cover the expenses for patients whom DRH has been serving beyond bed-capacity.

                Designed with only 200-bed capacity,  DRH has been stretching its services to about 500 patients, Dr. Busuego said. However, the Davao Regional Medical Center will no longer be serving far beyond its capacity, he added.

                Earlier, Busuego said the medical center will handle specialized medical services or tertiary medical cases with expert doctors and with provisions of state-of-the equipment.

                “We will empower the nearby hospitals to handle medical cases they can take care at their (community) levels,” he said in explaining a strategy of easing influx of patients to the medical center.  

                On  the other hand,  Davao del Norte Provincial Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario during the same occasion expressed hopes that the Davao Regional Medical Center will live up to its commitment to provide decent, better quality of health services accessible by every Filipino.

                “It is the right of everyone to be given with accessible and prompt healthcare,” he said.

                Meanwhile, Senator Guingona envisioned Davao Regional Medical Center to become a Mindanao major health facility where Mindanawans can seek treatment of whatever illnesses and sickness they are suffering.

                “We no longer need to go to Manila or abroad. Whatever illness, you may have, they can take care of you,” he said in expressing hopes for a much improved and much sophisticated medical services that the Davao Regional Medical Center can offer in the future.  (PIA 11/Jeanevive D. Abangan)