Negros SP okays P97M for COVID-19 lab

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City- The biolab at the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) gets a needed boost with the approval of the P97-million supplemental budget by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in its regular session this week.

Provincial Board Member Rommel Debulgado, chairperson of the SP committee on Finance said that the P97,903,500 is for the purchase of equipment and re-agents for the Covid-19 testing laboratory at the hospital in Silay City.

Debulgado said the budget came from the unobligated balance of the P100 million special purpose appropriation for the construction and repair of TLJPH to accommodate Covid-19 patients.

The budget for construction and repair of TLJPH was reprogrammed for the Covid-19 laboratory.

Debulgado said there is a need to purchase test kits and implement mass testing.

“This is urgent and necessary to succeed in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, with the influx of Overseas Filipino Workers, locally stranded individuals (LSIs) and essential workers to Negros Occidental.”

Debulgado also said that Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson intends to continue the repair and construction of the TLJPH extension for Covid-19 patients using provincial government funds.

Earlier, the provincial government allocated P50 million for the establishment of a biolab while another P100 million from the Bayanihan grant was earmarked for the expansion of the TLJPH for COVID-19 patients.