Budget lack could halt dialysis center operation

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – The dialysis center inside Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital might stop operating due to lack of budget as the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has yet to approve the annual budget for 2020.

Governor Esteban Evan Contreras II said funds for the dialysis center are included in the still unapproved Annual Investment Program (AIP) this year.

The governor said he has talked with department heads on what they should do to continue the operations of the dialysis center which caters to poor patients.

Contreras is hoping that the questions being raised by several board members, particularly errors and double funding of projects, will be answered to avoid the dialysis center from shutting down.

According to the governor, the Provincial Engineer’s Office and its staff already validated items which the board members questioned as double funding and having some errors

Copies of the validation reports were already given to the board members.

If the provincial board will not approve the annual investment program, they will be obliged to operate on a reenacted budget.

Meanwhile, Sen. Christopher Lawrence Bong Co is set to arrive today, Feb 17, to lead the blessing and launching of the Malasakit Center located inside RMPH.

The senator will allocate P5 million budget monthly to subsidize the hospital bills of indigent patients who want to avail the medical services of RMPH.