• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Abelardo and Remedios Bantug Memorial Hospital (ARBMH) main building in Victorias City, which was inaugurated on Feb. 3, has been considered by Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez as a major milestone in delivering accessible and quality healthcare to every Victoriasanon.
Previously called the Immaculate Conception Health Center and managed by the Victorias Kaayong Lawas Foundation, the health facility reaffirms the city’s commitment to advancing medical services for future generations, Benitez said in a statement.
With a 25-bed capacity, it also features an emergency room and a laboratory as well as offers X-ray, ultrasound and electrocardiogram services, among others.
Covering 1,100 square meters for its first two phases, the Department of Health-accredited primary care facility is set to expand services, including minor surgical procedures, a clinical laboratory, pharmacy, birthing and dental services, and a Type I ambulance unit.
Once fully operational, ARBMH will serve not only as a primary healthcare provider, but also as a halfway station for patients requiring stabilization before transfer to tertiary hospitals in Silay, Bacolod, or Cadiz.
Victorias Kaayong Lawas Foundation Inc. executive director Ann Rose Gicana said that the inauguration realizes one of Benitez’s top priorities, which is a facility that not only handles emergencies and outpatient consultations, but also serves as a critical waiting station for tertiary care under the province’s One Hospital Command.
Gicana added that the ARBMH is dedicated to carrying forward the compassionate mission of the late Mayor Remedios Bantug to ensure accessible and affordable healthcare for the poorest citizens.
Maria Remedios Hermilinda Bantug, representing the benefactor family, expressed gratitude to Benitez for leading the facility’s operation.
Bantug honored their late Lola Idiong’s enduring love for the people of Victorias, highlighting the hospital’s mission to provide quality healthcare. | GB
