CLMMRH reopens PHP 92-M upgraded emergency room

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) will reopen its PHP 92 million upgraded Emergency Room this week following a three-month renovation.

“I hope we can really be able to serve the patients better because of the ER’s improved condition now,” said Dr. Joan Cerrada, CLMMRH medical center chief II.

Officials who attended the blessing of the hospital’s Emergency Department on Friday included Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Dr. Mary Ann Maestral, DOH–Negros Island Region Director Dr. Razel Nikka Hao, DOH–NIR Assistant Regional Director Adrian Ramos, Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya, Bacolod Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, and Negros Occidental 6th District Rep. Mercedez Alvarez.

“We are just so happy that we have delivered this promise. If not for the typhoons and earthquakes, we could have had it earlier, but it’s something we cannot control,” Cerrada said.

The renovation began in September last year and was aimed at addressing longstanding overcrowding issues and improving the quality of emergency care.

Cerrada said the Emergency Room was prioritized for upgrading because it serves as the hospital’s main receiving area and has long been inefficient due to its condition.

She said patients and health workers previously operated in an environment that was not conducive to quality care.

Hospital officials pushed for the upgrade to improve efficiency, noting that the ER attends to about 80 to 120 patients daily.

“The ER has a regular capacity of 50, but we can maximize it to around 65 beds,” Cerrada said.

The renovated facility is expected to enhance CLMMRH’s ability to provide timely, accessible, and quality emergency services to patients across the region.

It is designed to improve patient flow, strengthen critical care response, and provide a safer and more dignified environment for patients and health care workers.

With the upgraded Emergency Room, CLMMRH aims to further strengthen its role as a tertiary referral hospital serving Negros Island and nearby areas.

Cerrada said the hospital spent PHP 689,000 over three months to cover the care of 140 patients through partnerships with six private hospitals while the Emergency Room was under renovation.

A memorandum of agreement was signed with the private hospitals to reserve emergency beds for referred patients during the construction period.

“They’ve been cooperative, and we thanked them for this partnership,” Cerrada said, adding that the agreements have ended following the completion of the renovation.

Members of the media were given a brief tour of the Emergency Room and shown a simulation of how emergency processes are handled.

The upgraded Emergency Room now features modern communication systems, toilets, closed-circuit television cameras, air-conditioned units, and other improvements.

Cerrada said maintaining the facility will be a challenge, but expressed optimism that it will be properly cared for.

The Emergency Room currently has 69 nurses, 40 resident doctors, and 15 institutional workers.