Mt Prov drug rehab center set, dialysis facility opened

HEALTH CONCERNS

Roger Sacyaten

BAUKO, Mountain Province – A public hearing on the proposed establishment of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation Center in the province was conducted May 18, here at the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital.

Earlier in the day, the groundbreaking for the construction of the Dialysis Center and Outpatient Department building was done at the grounds of the regional hospital.

The construction of the dialysis building is part of the P45.802 million capital outlay in the 2016 budget of the hospital, according to Dr. Glen Mathew Baggao, chief of the Medical Center.

Baggao said their office was able to secure from the Commission on Elections an exemption from the election ban to proceed with the procurement processes and construction.

The building is a 2-storey structure which will house 10 units of dialysis machines which will be provided after the construction is done.

Rep. MaximoDalog patients in the province will not have to go to Baguio City and the lowlands to seek treatments but will do so at the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital near their homes and families without much travel and expenses. 

The Dialysis Center will respond to the medical attention of increasing dialysis patients in the province and in nearby provinces and even Ilocos Sur.

The regional hospital was originally named Mountain Province General Hospital which started operation in February 1964 until 1977 with 50 bed capacity which was later increased to 75 bed capacity due to increase of patients.

Batas Pambansa Blg. 836 authored by then Rep. Victor Dominguez renamed the hospital into Luis Hora Memorial Hospital which later again renamed as Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital (LHMRH) by virtue of Republic Act 8314 still authored by the late Dominguez which was amended by RA 7445 signed in April 27, 1992 that increased the bed capacity from 75 to 100.

However, the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of both RAs  8314 and 7445  were never implemented.

Through the efforts of Dalog, Administrative Order No. 2014-0022 setting the IRR was finally approved in June 9, 2014.

The hospital now has 100-bed capacity and Level II hospital rendering services but not limited to: clinical services, emergency services, outpatient services, and ancillary and support services such as laboratory, imaging facility, and pharmacy

With the establishment of the Dialysis Center and as the hospital aims to be elevated to Level 111, Dalog committed to file a bill to increase the bed capacity of the hospital from 100 to 200 and to upgrade the facilities.

“To become a tertiary hospital, you need to establish a training center for at least two services,” said representative of the regional office of the Department of Health, Cordillera Administrative Region during the program.

Meanwhile, the public hearing was conducted in the afternoon for the proposed establishment of the Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation Center at compound of the same hospital.

An initial P65 million funding proposal will establish the facility and public hearing is the last component to comply with requirements. 

A presentation of the technical needs of the facility including the building, playgrounds, and others covers a two hectare land area requirement which the hospital management said is available.

Board Members Romeo Pagedped and Evelyn Taclobao, along with the other participants, voiced out their endorsements to the proposal for the establishment of the Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation Center.

Among the participants in the consultation and public hearing are Mayors Abraham Akilit of Bauko and Mateo Chiyawan of Natonin, officials of Tadian and Bauko, representatives of national line agencies and local government units, employees of the LHMRH, and the public.