Bacolod signs MOA for first ambulatory center

BACOLOD CITY — To help decongest the emergency room of the Doña Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), an ambulatory center will soon be built in the city.

Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya and Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez led the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement for the first CLMMRH–Bacolod City Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) Plus Center with Department of Health Undersecretary Mary Ann Maestral, Negros Island Region Health Development regional director Razel Nikka Hao, and CLMMRH Medical Center Chief Dr. Joan Cerrada on Tuesday at the Bacolod City Government Center lobby.

Gasataya said the city government is committed to completing and opening the BUCAS Plus Center.

He said construction will begin by the end of the month once publication requirements are met and is targeted for completion within nine months.

The PHP50 million project will be funded through a city loan.

Gasataya said the project was conceptualized by Benitez during his term as mayor.

He stressed the need to fast-track the construction so residents can benefit from improved health services as soon as possible.

“We are doing this because we believe time is of the essence,” Gasataya said.

Benitez said that during a recent visit to the CLMMRH emergency room, he observed severe congestion, with patients lying on the floor, others lining up, and ambulances waiting to unload patients.

“This is not just a recent problem — it has been happening regularly,” Benitez said.

“That is why before my term as mayor ended, I tried to find ways to address it. The BUCAS Center is one of the solutions, so patients will no longer have difficulty accessing care,” he added.

Cerrada said the BUCAS Plus Center, which will initially have a 15-bed capacity, will offer services beyond those of the existing BUCAS facility.

It will include telemedicine services and an HIV treatment room to help ensure patient confidentiality, which can be challenging at the overcrowded CLMMRH, she added.

Cerrada said the city government will provide the infrastructure, while the Department of Health will help fund the project.

She said the collaboration will benefit both patients and medical staff by improving infrastructure and working conditions.

“This is a fresh start, because we will have better infrastructure, improved workstations, and hopefully a more welcoming atmosphere,” Maestral said.

“We will equip the facility and provide manpower, but we need the support of our barangay health workers, who will guide patients to the BUCAS Center,” she added.