The Department of Health aims to make the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City “an honest to goodness modern up-to-date medical center” with architectural plans expected to be out by February or March, DOH Secretary Enrique Ona said yesterday.

There is no definite estimate yet on the cost of the modernization of the CLMMRH that will increase its bed capacity from 400 to about 600 to 650, but it could be about P3 to 3.5 billion, Ona said.

Meanwhile, the DOH is giving the Negros Occidental provincial government a P50 million Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, which is used in detecting and delineating tumors and in providing images of the brain, the heart, and other soft-tissue organs.

Ona said the MRI is set to arrive at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City  soon.

The provincial government, in turn, is giving its property of about 6,000 square meters next to the CLMMRH, for the DOH expansion and modernization, Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. said.

Ona said the DOH plans to construct a new building there as part of the CLMMRH complex.

The DOH has also purchased a P35 million CT Scan for the CLMMRH, he added.

DOH Regional Director Ariel Valencia said, on top of that, the DOH is allocating P100 million in equipment for the various hospitals of Negros Occidental next year.

Ona has also asked the governor for a list of equipment that will be needed in the new hospital that the provincial government is building in Sipalay City to be included in the 2003 budget.

Ona said the DOH thrust is to counterpart with local government units in the delivery of health services.

In the case of Negros Occidental, the provincial government has been providing the infrastructure for its hospitals and the DOH will be providing equipment, Ona said.

He said Marañon does not need to be pressured to go into counterparting with the DOH, the governor knows what the health needs of the province are and is acting on them.

Marañon, on the other hand, said he was happy because the DOH has been delivering on its promises for the province.

Ona and Dr. Eduardo Banzon, president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., yesterday met with the governor at the Capitol in Bacolod City.*CPG

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