Dr. Julius Drilon, chief of hospital of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, yesterday said they will start the construction of a 6-storey multi-specialty building at the CLMMRH compound in Bacolod City that he hopes will be finished before the end of this year.

The Department of Health has allocated a budget of about P100 million for the construction of the first phase of the new structure only, he said.

If their plans push through, they may be able to increase their bed capacity from 400 to about 600 beds, Drilon said.

During a New Year’s call on Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday at the Bacolod City Government Center, Drilon said they will demolish an old building in the hospital compound and put up a new one since Health Secretary Enrique One wants to ensure that the hospital will be able to serve the expected growth of the population of Bacolod in the next 20-21 years.

Drilon said the multi-specialty building will be equipped with modern imaging systems, CT Scan, and almost all the radiologic equipment will be new.

He also said it will have an operating room and about 130 beds.

“We have allocated private rooms for private patients who wish to avail of our services,” he added.

Drilon said the DOH has also allocated funds for the renovation of the Mother and Child Building and this will increase its capacity to 200 beds, including 12 for the Intensive Care Unit.

HELP FROM SEN. DRILON

He said he was informed by the Department of Budget and Management that the fund given by President Benigno Aquino III through his brother Senator Franklin Drilon, for the improvements of the CLMMRH was granted through the efforts of Ona. The budget of P100 million will be used in 2012, he said.

Drilon said they are now redirecting their priorities to cater to the needs of the less privileged sector of society.

He also said their staff has been re-educated and made to understand that their work or duty is to serve the patients, majority of whom are poor.

Drilon said they have implemented rules of the DOH and the Civil Service Commission like the “No lunch break policy”, and have improved basic facilities and cleanliness in the hospital.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

He said they are also constructing an emergency room at Burgos Street which they hope to inaugurate in six months. A new laboratory was inaugurated last Dec. 15, 2011, he added.

We hope, the complex will be finished this year so we can give better services and facilities to people seeking our services, Drilon said.

Since his assumption, Drilon said, there have been improvements in the programs and infrastructure of the CLMMRH that he hopes to implement in the next three and a half years under the Aquino administration, since the President wants to see changes in his Health Agenda, not only in the programs, but in the infrastructure of hospital.

He said their running daily census is 440-460 beds which is not healthy, because as a tertiary care level hospital, their approved capacity is only 400 beds.

MAYOR THANKFUL

He said he is thankful that the city has a birthing center and health centers to help declog the CLMMRH, since about 40 percent of the patients who give birth are from Bacolod.

Leonardia said, “We know that when Drilon and his brother Senator Franklin Drilon, who is the second chairman of the Liberal Party, come together as a team, good things will happen in Bacolod City.”

He said the Senator is the right position and has the capacity to help Bacolod progress by leaps and bounds.

Leonardia said he thanked Senator Drilon for his initiative in inserting his budget funds for the CLMMRH.*CGS

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