• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) will be closing its Emergency Room for major renovation, worth P92 million, next month, and is now coordinating with private hospitals and concerned offices and responders to ensure continuous emergency care for Bacolodnons and Negrenses.
CLMMRH Medical Center chief, Dr. Joan Cerrada, said Aug. 12 that the temporary closure will start second or third week of September, and will last for about three to four months.
She said that coordination meetings have been and will be made with private hospitals in Bacolod, city and provincial disaster risk reduction and management offices, as well as rescue and emergency responders to ensure continuous service even during the renovation.
But Cerrada said that CLMMRH will still cater to emergency category 1 patients, or those requiring resuscitation and immediate medical attention due to life-threatening conditions.
A simulation will also be held before the ER closure to ensure a well-prepared transition, and determine the focal person in each private hospital for smooth emergency navigation, she added.
“We will have MOA (memorandum of agreement) with each private hospital para clear ang roles and responsibilities” on the emergency navigation, Cerrada said, adding that, so far, all private hospitals in Bacolod have expressed interest.
The renovation aims to serve the community better, and improve the working condition at the Emergency Department, considering that CLMMRH is the apex hospital of the Negros Island Region.
The ER has 68 beds, Cerrada said. “The plan is to utilize stretcher trolleys rather than hospital beds to maximize space.”
Cerrada earlier said the major renovation of the ER is long overdue. “Our last full renovation was many years ago. While we’ve made some small improvements since then, the reality is, we need a comprehensive overhaul.”
Concerns were raised on the cleanliness and overcrowding of the various departments at CLMMRH, including the ER, and the upgrade aims to address some of these challenges. | CGC
