- GILBERT BAYORAN
Additional medical services will now be offered at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City, Negros Occidental, after it was classified as a secondary level hospital by the Department of Health, said Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Lacson said the TLJPH will now have licensed ICU (Intensive Care Unit), including neonatal ICU, high risk pregnancy, pulmonary and pedia units, which will benefit more Negrenses.
Then President Rodrigo Duterte signed on June 29 this year Republic Act No. 11890, or an act increasing the capacity of the hospital from 100 beds to 300, and appropriating funds for its operations.
Section 4 mandates the provincial government of Negros Occidental to provide the necessary funds to cover the maintenance and other operating expenses of the TLJPH.
“It shall also appropriate funds for the additional human resource complement to support the increase in bed capacity and the corresponding upgrading of its facilities and professional health care services,” the law stated.
The DOH shall include in its subsidy program support for the capital outlay requirements of the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital, it added.
“Our next target is level 3,” Lacson said. “Once we do that with TLJPH, we will go to the next hospitals, the Cadiz District Hospital and the Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City.”
Level III hospitals refer to health facilities selected to provide tertiary hospital services, and have training programs for doctors, rehabilitation and dialysis units. Majority of those are located in the National Capital Region.
Lacson, assisted by Provincial Administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, Hospital Operations Division chief, and Dr. Mary Ann Maestral, led the blessing of the upgraded TLJPH dialysis center in Silay City the other day.
The dialysis center is now equipped with 15 seats.
Lacson said they will also expand the dialysis centers in Cadiz and Kabankalan government hospitals, as well as at the Valladolid District Hospital./GB
