• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The renovation of the Mother and Child Building at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, worth P163.5 million, started June 15 and is projected to be completed in one year.
Dr. Joan Cerrada, CLMMRH medical center chief, said in a press briefing that the project will be phased so that obstetrics and gynecology services, among others, will not be severely hampered.
Phase 1 will be the renovation and completion of the third floor within 20 weeks; and Phase 2 includes the renovation and completion of the second floor.
Once Phase 1 is completed, patients in the second floor will be transferred to the renovated third floor so that Phase 2 can commence, Cerrada explained.
The project, awarded to DuraBuild Construction, will have total bed capacity of 189, including 158 in wards, nine in the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit), and 12 in private rooms, with the whole building air-conditioned.
Third floor services include OB-GYNE cases, an oncology-pharmacy preparation room, work up and chemotherapy, intensive monitoring of pediatric cases, pedia gastro and respiratory cases, airborne-related pediatric conditions, and individual isolation, among others.
In the second floor are post-normal and caesarean delivery, critical OB-GYNE cases, kangaroo mother care, and critical and intensive pedia cases, among others.
“We are trying to improve our facilities one by one so that we will be able to accommodate referrals from the different lower level hospitals in our region,” Cerrada said, noting that CLMMRH is the only apex hospital of the Department of Health in the Negros Island Region.
The renovation of the Mother and Child Building started in 2013, and included mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural retrofitting, architectural finishing, and civil works needed to fully renovate the facility, CLMMRH chief administrative officer Rey Melchor Baylon said at the press briefing.
“After more than 10 years of delays caused by availability issues, the original contract (worth P80 million), was mutually terminated on Aug. 20, 2025, with the project at about 65 percent complete,” he added.
The present renovation, funded under the DOH-Health Facilities Enhancement Program, aims to upgrade and restore the remaining mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and civil systems, as well as structural enhancements; and enhance the overall functionality, accessibility, and safety of the building.
It will also meet licensing standards and the Green Building Initiative, adhere to local and national building regulations, accessibility requirements, and fire safety, Baylon said in his presentation.
Cerrada assured the public that with the renovation of the building, the hospital will be able to serve the patients better. “We are committed to better service and the safety of our patients.” | CGC
