• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The provincial government of Negros Occidental is pushing forward with the repair, rehabilitation, and expansion of two its major hospitals to improve healthcare services for Negrenses.
These include the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City and Cadiz District Hospital (CDH) in Cadiz City.
Dr. Razel Nikka Hao, director of the Department of Health-Negros Island Region (DOH-NIR), said the DOH has already issued a permit to construct for the upgrading of the TLJPH.
The planned improvements at the provincial hospital include the enhancement of the emergency room, establishment of a five-bed pediatric intensive care unit, expansion of the pharmacy, development of a 44-bed pediatric ward, and upgrading of the tertiary clinical laboratory.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II, who serves as the officer-in-charge of Hospital Operations Services under the Provincial Health Office, said the project aims to improve patient flow and accessibility within the hospital.
Diaz noted that key hospital units, including the admitting section, emergency room, laboratory, and pharmacy, should be located closer to one another to ensure a more efficient and seamless experience for patients.
He emphasized the need to accelerate the modernization and upgrading of hospital facilities to make them more organized and accessible for both patients and healthcare workers.
Rehabilitation efforts are also underway at Cadiz District Hospital.
Diaz said that an assessment conducted eight months after a typhoon struck Negros Occidental showed that the hospital’s third, fourth, and fifth floors had become non-operational due to extensive damage to the roof, ceiling, flooring, and electrical systems.
“Repair works are ongoing to restore the affected areas,” he added.
Meanwhile, the provincial government successfully transported 13.839 metric tons of hospital hazardous waste from Governor Valeriano M. Gatuslao Memorial Hospital in Himamaylan City to a Department of Environment and Natural Resources-accredited treatment facility.
The initiative forms part of the province’s continuing commitment to environmental protection and public health under the leadership of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Diaz said. | GPB
