• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Healthcare accessibility in southern Negros Occidental is set to receive a major upgrade, following the signing of a landmark 25-year deed of usufruct between the provincial government of Negros Occidental and the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) based in Bacolod City.
Under the agreement, the provincial government will transfer the management and development of the land and facilities of the Merceditas J. Montilla District Hospital (MJMDH) in Sipalay City to CLMMRH.
Upon effectivity, the facility will officially operate as the CLMMRH-Merceditas J. Montilla District Hospital Specialty Center.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and CLMMRH medical center chief Dr. Joan Cerrada led the signing ceremony held at the Governor’s Office last week, in the presence of Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Mary Ann Maestral and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II.
Under the 25-year usufruct terms, the property will be used exclusively for hospital, medical, and allied public health functions. These include the delivery of urgent care and ambulatory medical services, advanced specialty and specialized healthcare services, and DOH-compliant health program initiatives and standards.
This initiative aligns directly with the DOH policy framework that seeks to integrate local health facilities as official annexes of tertiary regional hospitals, effectively expanding high-level medical care to peripheral areas.
For residents of southern Negros, the establishment of the specialty center means high-tier medical expertise will be accessible locally, reducing the need to travel long distances for tertiary care.
The DOH emphasized that integrating MJMDH as a regional hospital annex will significantly decongest major healthcare facilities located in Bacolod City, ensuring faster turnaround times and better patient care quality across the entire province. | GPB
