Incoming mayor eyes new Iloilo City hospital

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

ILOILO City lone district congressman and mayor-elect Jerry Treñas said they are already on the planning stage for the new Iloilo City hospital that he promised during the campaign period.

Treñas said he already met with officials from the City Health Office (CHO) and Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD)-6 on Tuesday to discuss the funding requirements for the hospital.

He revealed that the initial cost of a Level 1 hospital is around P159 million.

“Na-meet ko ang DOH and nalipay gid ko kay ginexplain nila kung pila ang kinahanglan para sa hospital nga Level 1 is around P159 million and basi pangitaan funding didto sa DOH amo na nga very excited gid ako,” he said.

The mayor-elect said the initial building will have 50 beds and more or less 30 personnel who will be managed by the city government.

“That is one of my campaign promises so I am happy with our cooperation with the DOH and during the meeting I asked them to solemnly swear before me that they will help me until we come up with a city hospital,” Treñas said.

The late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago funded the construction of a city hospital in 2011 but the building is currently situated and managed by the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao district.

Treñas said he personally observed the situation of the WVMC and saw that most government hospitals are already overcrowded.

“Nakita ko gid ang sitwasyon didto sa WVMC and nakita ko mga tawo gadala sang ila hiligdaan that is why gusto ko at least in a limited way kita ya sa siyudad kung makasarang lang man kita we will have our own hospital and we will take care of our own residents kay kaluluoy man sila,” he said.

Treñas said they are still looking for a 2-hectare lot as site of the new hospital.

He assured that the hospital will be one of his priority projects once he assumes office on June 30, 2019.

 “Sa subong ari pa lang kita sa planning stage asta maplastar ta gid kung ano ang mga kinahanglanon and ang mga requirements and ultimately we will get authority from the council to create the city hospital and all the necessary personnel,” he said.